A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals
by ladyanaconda
Summary: Sequel to ToDaJ. Marigold turns fifteen, and good friends with Juan Carlos, Manolo and María's son. However, when their friendship escalates into something more, Xibalba is less than thrilled that his baby is falling in love with a mortal, and will do anything to separate them. Meanwhile, an ancient enemy of Xibalba returns for vengeance for stealing the love of his life...
1. Prologue: The Promise

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 1- Prologue

* * *

_Fourteen years Ago_…

_A shadow crept through the cracks, stalagmites and rough terrain of the Land of the Forgotten; being a non-corporeal form, he could not be harmed by such insignificant things. It swiftly headed towards one particular structure in the middle of the realm, in the middle of an extensive lake of lava. The castle had the shape of two massive coiling serpents with open mouths, and a thin bridge connected it to mainland, with more statues of snakes adorning it. _

_The spectre-like shadow flew to the balcony in the highest tower of the castle, approaching the crystal doors silently like a predator stalking its prey, orange eyes glowing warily in the darkness of the realm. The shadow slid under the frame of the crystal doors and into the chambers of the castle's lord and master. Once inside, it scanned the room until its eyes glued unto the thing it had come looking for in the first place. _

_A cradle, a few steps away from the king-sized bed. _

_The shadow approached the cradle silently to avoid disturbing its occupant and alert it to its presence. Once the shade was close enough, its orange eyes looked down scornfully at the cradle's occupant. The newborn baby girl was a few days old, maybe three-weeks to be more precise; she was shifting in her sleep every now and then, suckling unto her pacifier. _

_Anyone would be endeared by such a scene, but not the shadow. Instead, it hissed and narrowed its orange eyes at her. Its body might be forever imprisoned in the Land of the Forgotten, but it didn't mean he was completely cut off from the world. He had heard what had happened not long ago; the birth of La Muerte and Xibalba's daughter, the whelp he had in front of him. However, he also heard La Muerte died at childbirth… all to bring this thing into the world. _

_For a moment, the shadow was captivated by the resemblance the child had to her deceased mother. Every detail, the sugar skin, the raven hair, the pretty golden patterns in her face and body, he might have even said she was La Muerte reborn… but then the child opened her eyes, and he was brought out of the trance when he realized her eyes were like those of Xibalba: red pupils in a pool of green acid green. The baby looked up at him curiously for a while._

_"__Damn you…" the shadow hissed in low voice, in a tone that would have sent chills down anyone's spine. "Because of you, she is dead…!" the tone of his voice and his frightful appearance soon made the baby sob in fright, her pacifier slipping from her lips. "Damn you!" the shadow opened his mouth and prepared to kill the baby with one bite…_

_A stream of black, razor-knife feathers struck against the shadow, sending him against the wall with a cry of pain while a blur of black and green flew swiftly towards the cradle and lifted the baby in a protective embrace before landing away from the shadow; by then, the baby had started to cry her fright out. _

_Xibalba had been doing some research into a __**certain matter**__ when suddenly he felt a slight oppression in his chest, a feeling of dread brewing up, but he didn't know why. He took a hand to his chest, and felt his heart accelerating its pace, like it was trying to tell him something… _

_Marigold!_

_With a flap of his wings, Xibalba took off from his seat in the library, sending books and papers flying, and burst the doors open, then he flew towards his chambers as quickly as he could. Xibalba burst into his room just in time to see a shadow about to deliver a fatal attack on his baby; acting on instinct, he flapped his wings towards the intruder, throwing sharp feathers at it and successfully getting it away from Marigold's cradle. Still, Xibalba flew towards the cradle and quickly took his wailing baby in his arms, then he landed in the other side of the room, flaring out his wings and glaring daggers at the intruders, all the while holding his daughter protectively against his chest. _

_"__YOU!" he hissed._

_"__You recognize me, huh?" the shadow narrowed his eyes as he let out a cold chuckle. "What an honor. I thought that after all these centuries you would have forgotten about me already."_

_"__Unfortunately, I haven't! I haven't forgotten what you nearly did to my __**wife**__!" _

_The shadow narrowed his eyes hatefully at the crying baby in Xibalba's arms. "I'm surprised that you protect that brat after she killed La Muerte!"_

_Xibalba growled as he tightened his hold on his daughter. "My daughter has killed no one! What happened to La Muerte was not her fault! I swear, if you touch one single hair on her head I'll personally torture you until you're nothing more than ash and dust!"_

_"__You won't be able to protect her forever, Xibalba…" the shadow snickered evilly, a long, serpentine tongue slithering out of his lips "Sooner or later you will make a mistake, and I'll be there." With a last cackle of wickedness the shadow vanished in thin air, leaving the dark god alone with his wailing child. _

_Once he was certain the shadow was gone, Xibalba looked down and immediately checked on his daughter for any injuries the shadow might have inflicted of her, but felt a great weight being lifted off his chest when he saw none. "Shhh, sh-sh-sh. It's okay, __**mi florecita**__. Papi's here, papi's got you." He cooed and bounced her in his arms, holding her closer than ever before, wiping her tears with his thumb. "I'm not letting anything happen to you." _

_It was a while before he managed to soothe Marigold down, by giving her back her pacifier and singing her a lullaby, but when she did finally go back to sleep he did not place her back in the cradle. He didn't want to risk her life again if the shadow came back._

* * *

_"__**Hermanito**__!" _

_Both Zipacna and the Candlemaker materialized in Xibalba's chambers as soon as his message reached them. Sure, it was one A.M and Zipacna was wearing a light blue pajama with crow slippers, but they knew this was a grave matter. "We came as soon as we got your message! Are you and Mari-goldie okay?" The Candlemaker asked in worry._

_Xibalba was facing the crystal doors of his balcony, looking down at his sleeping daughter in his arms, stroking her cheek tenderly. Marigold shifted in her sleep, suckling on her pacifier. "She's okay, thankfully." _

_"__Who was the guy who dared try and harm my niece?" Zipacna growled from within his throat. "I'll tear him apart." _

_"… __**Him**__." _

_Silence. _

_"__Víbora?" Zipacna recalled hearing that name. "The guy who tried to-?"_

_"__**Sí**__." Xibalba interrupted him before he could finish the sentence, his body becoming stiff. _

_"__I thought you imprisoned him." The Candlemaker point out. "Did he escape or something?"_

_"__No. I cast spells on his chains and his prison, it's impossible for him to escape from there without help." Xibalba sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't say the same for his shade."_

_"__What are you going to do?" Zipacna inquired. "What if he comes back?"_

_"__He won't for now." The Candlemaker said. _

_"__Are you sure?" _

_"__Knowing that serpent, he will wait until I let my guard down to strike. But that'll never happen." Xibalba growled softly, tightening his hold on his baby, looking down at Marigold as she hiccupped in her sleep. Normally, he would have laughed, but now was not the time. "As long as I live, I'll never let him touch a single hair on my daughter's hair."_

_"__Then are you going to warn her about him when she grows-?" _

_"__No!" Xibalba snapped at his brother and the Candlemaker, his eyes narrowing. "And you two are forbidden from ever mentioning this matter to her!" _

_"__Come on, Balby! Don't you think it'll be safer if she can look out for that snake-?" The Candlemaker gulped when the dark god glared at him._

_"__She has nothing to do with this, and I'm __**not**__ dragging her into it!" _

_"__But-!"_

_"__Good for me!" Zipacna lifted up his arms and subtly smacked the Candlemaker's arm with his wing. "We're not saying anything! __**Nos comió la lengua el ratón**__! Right, Candlemaker?" _

_"__We're not." The deity made out of wax sighed, though he did not agree with this. _

_Satisfied, Xibalba returned his attention to his daughter. Marigold cooed and snuggled deeply into her father's embrace, completely oblivious to what they were talking about, still hiccupping. Xibalba finally allowed his lips to curve up into a small smile as he planted a kiss on Marigold's head, then tickled her chin. _

_"__I promise you, __**mi florecita**__, I will never let anything happen to you." _


	2. Nostalgia

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 2

* * *

It was Day of the Dead again.

In San Ángel, the cemetery was alive with families bringing the usual offerings and gifts to the tombs of their loved ones. The graves were adorned with marigolds, candles and _pan de muerto_, as well as the deceased people's favorite food. Unbeknown to the living, their deceased family and friends were already there unseen by any mortal unless they had very keen senses (as was the case of animals), staring longingly and happily as their living relatives honored their memory.

However, not all deceased people had the luck to have people who every year came to honor their memory. There was a part of the graveyard were the graves were gray, almost covered by moss and not even the name of the deceased was visible anymore; these were the people who had no living relatives, or if they had they didn't bother to 'waste money in buying offerings to a dead person'. These souls ended up in the Land of the Forgotten, lamenting and regretting that they were not remembered by anyone in the Land of the Living, until they turned into ash and vanished into oblivion forever.

At the top of the church there were two figures, watching below at the cemetery as children played, adults adorned the graves and friends chatted with each other about their deceased families. Unseen due to their status as gods, the younger being of sugary skin watched in wonder and amazement at the celebration happening below them, while the older one had a feeling of nostalgia and a twinge of sadness intertwined with joy.

Xibalba still couldn't believe it.

Fifteen years. His baby had turned fifteen today.

He glanced at her as she watched the celebration below, her legs hanging from the edge of the bell tower, a smile on her face. He would have confused her for his Muertita if it were not for her wings, her different attire and her slightly shorter hair; like everyone had predicted, she grew to be the living portrait of her mother, his late wife. Not only physically, but also in personality. Her kindness, her free spirit, even her fondness of mortals-he chuckled when recalling how she had slapped his hand away twenty minutes ago when he was about to take the life of an old man, like her mother had done all those years ago.

Being in this particular place brought him bittersweet memories, this had been his and La Muerte's favorite spot to come and have a date, or simply hang out to see what the Living were doing. Where they had made their famous wager so many years ago; the bet thanks to which he finally earned her forgiveness.

"Papá?"

Xibalba was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Marigold calling for him. "What is it, _mi florecita_?"

"Are you okay? You've been quiet all night."

"I… I'm okay, sweetie, I was just thinking…"

Marigold stood up and walked to her father's side. "By the way, papá, why did you want to come here? I thought you didn't like the Land of the Living that much."

Xibalba smiled at his daughter. "I have yet to give you your birthday present, _mi florecita_."

"And what's so especial that you wanted to come precisely here?"

"Close your eyes."

"My eyes? What are you going to do, papá?"

"Trust me, you'll like it."

Marigold decided not to question her father any further, and closed her eyes. She heard her father teleporting behind her, though she didn't understand why; she felt his hands lifting her hair a bit and tying something around her neck.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Marigold opened her eyes and looked down at her collarbone to see what he had tied around her neck, and she let out a small gasp of surprise. There was a familiar golden pendant connected to a black ribbon tied around her neck; her fingers gently touched the pendant, it felt cold to the touch.

"M-Mamá's pendant…?" she whispered, looking at her father.

Xibalba smiled and placed a hand on Marigold's shoulder. "It was a gift for our first anniversary, I commissioned it especially for her. I gave to her in this very rooftop." He touched his daughter's cheek tenderly. "I'm sure she would have liked you to have it."

"Ay, papá…" Marigold smiled sadly, her eyes swelling up with tears as she wrapped her arms around her father's neck. Xibalba returned the embrace, holding his daughter by the waist and caressing her head with the other. "I miss her…"

"Me too, Marigold." Xibalba replied softly, his voice nostalgic. "With all my heart."

"You think she can see us?"

"I'm certain of it, sweetie. Wherever she is, I'm certain she will always be with us." The dark god pulled back from the embrace to wipe a tear running down Marigold's cheek with his thumb, before glancing down at the celebration. "Just like the Remembered that come over every year, I'm sure your mother comes to visit us on this day."

"I wish I could have met her… I don't remember anything about her…"

"She'd be proud of you, now that you're becoming a young lady..." Xibalba looked away when his eyes swelled up with a few tears. "I still can't believe it…"

Marigold couldn't help but giggle upon noticing what was going on. "Papá, are you crying?"

"No, I'm okay, I just got something on my eye, that's all." He replied, rubbing his eyes with his hands. "That's better." He looked back at his daughter. "Do you want to go back?"

Marigold glanced at the cemetery once more, looking for a particular grave. "I think I'll hang out a little bit more, papá."

Xibalba nodded lightly, walking away form his daughter, but glancing back at her. "Remember to be back before nine o' clock, _jovencita_."

"Papá, don't you think I'm a little too old for curfews?" Marigold rolled her eyes.

"You'll never be old enough for them for me, _mi florecita_." Xibalba chuckled, before disappearing in a swirl of green fire.

Despite her annoyance five seconds ago, Marigold couldn't help but smile when he was gone. Her papi and his overreacting. No matter how much she grew or old she became, her father would always see her as his baby girl; it did bother her, but she knew he just wanted to protect her. But the breaking point was always when he chased away any potential suitors for her, that was completely exaggerate, at least that's what she thought. Xibalba didn't tolerate boys going near his baby, he'd always send them scrambling away whining like dogs.

Because of this, she never told him of her friendship with Juan Carlos; sure, he had seen her dance with him once, but she lied to him telling him she'd cut off contact with him afterwards. Thankfully he believed her, but she'd actually come to San Angel to spend time with Juan Carlos for most of the day while telling her father she only wanted to take some fresh air.

Marigold teleported down to the cemetery in a blur of rose petals and wandered through the graves and people, unseen due to her status as a Goddess. She was not as tall as her father (the tip of her head reached his collarbone), in immortal terms she was considered a baby (thus explaining why her father was so overprotective with her) despite having the appearance and maturity of a young teen. Compared to a mortal man she was a meter taller than them in her true form.

"Where are you, Juan Carlos…?" Marigold thought out loud to herself, again unnoticed by the mortals around her. She could see the spirits of the Remembered at their respective graves with their families, so she started looking for the Sánchez ancestors.

"_Niña_ Marigold?"

Marigold recognized Luis's voice and glanced at the direction of his voice, looking down at him. While in the World of the Living, he was semi-transparent and with a bluish coloration.

"Hey, _señor_ Luis!" Marigold greeted with a smile.

Luis noticed the pendant around her neck. "Is that what I think it is?"

Marigold nodded as she placed a hand on her mother's pendant. "Yes. Papá gave it to me as a birthday present."

"Well, looks like he does have his soft spot!" Luis let out a hearty laugh. "So, how's the party going down there while we are here?"

"It was cool until papá started scaring away boys who wanted to waltz with me." Marigold sighed.

"I got the feeling you're not getting married soon."

Both laughed at the idea of Xibalba's reaction if anyone dared to propose to his daughter. Marigold remembered she was on a mission.

"Señor Luis, have you seen Juan Carlos around here?" she inquired.

"What a coincidence! He was looking for you too! And I got the feeling he's got something to give you too."

"H-He is?" Marigold chirped at the thought.

Luis noticed the look on her eyes. "Ah, you got a crush on my _bisnieto_, don't you?"

Instantly, the young Goddess blushed. "M-Me?! No, I don't! He's just a friend!"

"Don't worry, _chica_! Everyone gets a crush on someone eventually!"

"But I'm not-! _Ay_! I'm going to find Juan Carlos!"

With that, she glided away from Luis, and grew further annoyed when he chuckled in amusement at her denial. Her eyes scanned the cemetery for the young _guitarrista_, though it seemed it would be harder to do so with all the people in the cemetery. After a while, she did manage to spot her friend amongst the townspeople, wandering through the graves, looking for _someone_…

Chirping in delight, Marigold turned into a blur or rose petals as she zoomed behind a grave and changed into her mortal form, before running towards her human friend. "Juan Carlos!"

The _guitarrista_ was relieved to hear her voice and turned towards her with a grin when he saw her approach. "_Hola_, Marigold. _Feliz cumpleaños_!"

Marigold embraced Juan Carlos excitedly. "You remembered!"

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I? As your official first friend in San Ángel, I have to be the first person to give you a present on your birthday." Juan Carlos thought for a moment. "Well, actually, I guess your father beat me to it."

"Sort of…" Marigold giggled.

Juan Carlos brought his hands from behind his back, holding a bright-colored box with a red ribbon. Marigold nearly jumped when suddenly the box jerked, as if there was something inside it.

"You're not allergic to animals, are you?"

"Don't worry, I'm not. I actually think they're pretty cute-" Marigold blinked. "Wait, why do you ask me that?"

"Open the box, you'll see."

Confused, Marigold lifted the lid of the box to take a peek, and gasped in wonder at its contents, removing the lid. Inside there was a dark-colored hairless puppy rolling on its back inside the box, until it realized it was no longer surrounded by darkness. It looked up, and its big brown eyes immediately touched Marigold. The pup wagged its tail at her.

"AWWW! A Xoloitzcuintle!" she chirped as she picked the puppy up and giggled when it licked her face happily.

"I figured that since you're moving here, you'd need a part of town to help you settle in." Carlos smiled when he saw her happy.

"Thank you!" Marigold smiled back, holding her puppy close to her. "I've always wanted a pet, but papá wouldn't let me have one."

"Oh, _cielos_, we're in trouble.."

"Don't worry, I'll think of something."

Juan Carlos noticed the pendant around Marigold's neck. "Hey, is that pendant new?"

Marigold looked down at it sadly, before nodding. "It's my mother's. Papá gave it to me a while ago as a present, I could tell it meant very much to him."

"You look beautiful."

She blushed deeply. "You think so?"

"Well, I mean… the pendant…" it was Juan Carlos's turn to blush. "It's prettier when _you_ wear it."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two, until Marigold spoke again. "Thank you, Juan Carlos."

"_No hay problema_, Marigold. You know I'd do anything for you… when your father is not watching, at least."

Marigold giggled. "Sorry you had to meet him like that, my papá has never liked me being around boys. I wouldn't like to say he's jealous, but I have no other way to say it." She sighed. "It's quite annoying."

Juan Carlos shrugged. "He's just trying to protect you, that's what fathers do. That's what my papá says."

Marigold looked at the moon, and internally gulped when she saw she had stayed for too long. "Juan Carlos, what time it is?"

"I think it's about nine o´clock." He replied, before noticing the look on her face. "You got a _toque de queda_?"

"Believe me I don't like it either, but that's how my father is. If I don't go home right now, he's capable of grounding me for a week, he's done it before."

Juan Carlos watched as she ran towards town, but she glanced back at him. "See you later!" she called out for him before disappearing amongst the crowd.

"See you later…" Juan Carlos waved his hand at her, a goofy smile on his lips. Ah, the things he did for that spirited, sweet, strong-willed, beautiful…

Wait, did he just call her beautiful?!

* * *

Marigold appeared back in her father's castle with a blur of rose petals. She looked down at her puppy, and noticed he had changed appearance like that of a dog from the Land of the Remembered, but with black bones and green body. Still, the puppy didn't seem to mind at all and was still looking up at her curiously. Marigold smiled at the puppy and scratched it behind the ears.

"I guess you need a name, right, _amiguito_?"

First of all, she needed to find a way to convince her father to let her keep her puppy. He wasn't fond of baby animals that were not his own or bred by him, which was why he never let her have a pet in the first place. As she glided through the halls, she tried to think of a name for her puppy, but she didn't look where she was going and bumped into someone; when she looked up to apologize, she found herself staring into harlequin green eyes with dark pupils. Her puppy whined and tried to hide its head into her chest.

Marigold was on the other side of the spectrum and she smiled excitedly. "_Tío_ Zipacna!"

"_Hola_, _sobrina_!" Zipacna laughed as he picked her up with the waist and lifted her into the air before pulling her close in a hug. "It's been a while!"

"_Tío_…!" Marigold choked a bit. "Can't…. breathe…!" her puppy was equally whining in protest.

Zipacna placed her back on the ground with an embarrassed look. "Sorry, Marigold, it's just the last time I saw you, you were ten. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, but I went to the Land of the Remembered and they told me you'd gone to the Land of the Living with Xibalba." He noticed the puppy she was holding. "Oh, dear, you do realize what your father's going to say about _that_, don't you?"

"I'll figure something out." Marigold replied, pulling her puppy closer to her.

"Hey, is that….?" Zipacna noticed she was wearing La Muerte's pendant. He could guess what had happened.

"Sí. Papá gave it to me a while ago in the Land of the Living." Marigold replied, placing her hand on the pendant.

"I guess that's a good thing…" Zipacna muttered under his breath. "Where did you get the puppy, by the way?"

"I-"

"I was going to ask the same thing."

Marigold jumped when she heard her father's voice behind her and she twirled around in fright, nearly slipping backwards, but her uncle caught her in time. Xibalba chuckled in amusement, though she didn't find it funny.

"Papá! Stop doing that, would you?!" she snapped.

"Come on, _mi florecita_, you liked when you were five! But I was serious when I asked you where you got that mutt."

"Well, I…" Marigold tried to think of something to tell him, something believable. If she told him it was a gift, he'd inquire who had given her such a gift, and that was a question she could not answer. "I… This pup?·

"Sí." Xibalba replied, his hands behind his back.

"I… I found it in… This pup."

"Marigold."

"I gave it to her!" Zipacna blurted out of sudden.

Both Marigold and Xibalba looked at him in confusion. "You did?" Marigold quickly caught up and she nodded.

"Y-Yes! Tío Zipacna brought it to me as a birthday gift!" she said.

"I must say, it wasn't easy! Those dogs are getting rarer these days!"

Xibalba glanced at Zipacna with narrowed eyes and a frown. "A dog? In case you forgot, I have a whole pack of hounds."

"But those are _yours_! I brought little Marigold a puppy of her own!"

"Can I keep it, papi?" Marigold did her best to make a puppy eye look like when she was little, but she wasn't happy to say that she was out of practice. "Pleaseeee?"

Even the puppy was trying to give the dark king the cutest face it could muster.

Xibalba chuckled at the sight, when was the last time his Marigold had tried to make the puppy eyes? When she was about seven years old, maybe. Time did pass quickly, it seemed.

"Okay, sweetie." He patted her head gently. "You can keep the mutt. Consider it as a second birthday gift."

"_Gracias_, papi!" Marigold wrapped an arm around her father's neck and her wings around his body in a hug (or an attempt at one, since she was still holding her puppy) as she planted a kiss on his cheek. Xibalba smiled and returned the embrace, though he felt uncomfortable with the mutt between them. Finally, Marigold pulled away and flew down the hall towards her room with her puppy in her arms.

Xibalba watched her go with a fond smile.

"I was sure you'd say no, _hermanito_." Zipacna commented when she was out of earshot.

"How can I say no to those little eyes?" Xibalba chuckled. "That _niña_ is my whole world."

"She's not a _niña_ anymore, you know. She's a _joventica_."

"I know that…" the dark god sighed sadly. "I still can't believe. One day I was changing her diapers, and when I least expect it she's turning fifteen."

"Well, _hermanito_, life goes on. Makes me happy that I'm still single and free!" Zipacna proclaimed proudly, until he noticed the look Xibalba was giving him. "Uh… Bueno, I think you must be tired, so I'll be taking my leave. _Nos vemos_." With this, he disappeared in a blur of black feathers.

Once he was alone, Xibalba sighed and leaned against the wall, looking down at the ground in thought. After a while, he glided towards Marigold's room to do a quick check-up on her before she went to sleep. When he was in front of the doors, he knocked the door gently.

"Marigold?"

When he heard no reply, he guessed she had already gone to sleep. Still, maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a peek, in case she needed anything. Silently, Xibalba turned the knob on one door and pushed it open as silently as he could; just as he had assumed, Marigold had already fallen asleep. Her blanket was up to her waist and her arm was hanging from the edge of the bed; he saw the little, still nameless mutt curled up at her side on bed. Xibalba walked closer to the bed as silently as his tar body could muster, and gently lifted her arm to place it back on bed, before he caught sight of something.

He picked it up with glossy eyes.

It was Rattles. The plush snake was a bit worn down by time, its once bright purple cloth now a dull purple gray and one of its eyes was missing, but it was still complete. He recalled when he first gave it to Marigold; he had bought it for her first birthday, but one night that she had a particularly bad dream and she wailed nonstop when she was five months old, he thought it wouldn't do bad if he gave it to her earlier. He would never forget how her little eyes had lit up upon seeing the doll, how she had giggled at it for the first time. She never went anywhere without it ever since.

Xibalba placed Rattles next to Marigold; he couldn't help but smile sadly as she subconsciously pulled it closer into a hug, smiling lightly as she snuggled into it.

Even though she was growing up, she would always be his _niñita_, his _bebé_.

Xibalba pulled up the sheets to cover Marigold, before planting a kiss on her forehead and stroking her cheek gingerly.

"_Dulces sueños, mi florecita_."

He glided to her door to let her sleep, and glanced back at his daughter one last time before closing the door behind him.

He failed to see the pair of orange eyes peeking through the window.


	3. Dark Secrets

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 3- Dark Secrets

* * *

Xibalba's castle had many rooms, and most of them were open for Marigold. The most notable rooms were his study, the dining hall, the throne room, the living room and the organ room. All others were simply decorative, or used to store things. One of these rooms was, however, strictly forbidden to _anyone_ but the King of the Forgotten. Not even his servants were allowed in, and they knew it. This door in particular was made out of obsidian, and there were seals carved all over it by Xibalba himself to prevent anyone from going in without his permission. Marigold had always wondered what was in that room that it was so heavily secured, but her father refused to tell her anything about it.

Xibalba stared at the door in front of him, clutching Ponzoña tightly. A few minutes passed before he tapped the door with one of his staff's heads. "_Déjame pasar_."

At the sound of his voice and the touch of his staff, the symbols and seals on the door glowed a sickly green, and the sound of locks unlocking from behind the door echoed in the corridor. When the sound stopped and the glow subsided, the doors opened by themselves. Xibalba walked inside, and as soon as he stepped inside, candles of green fire on the walls lit up and illuminated the dark room. Unlike most of the other rooms, this one had no windows, and it was filled with crystal showcases that contained various weapons and artifacts. These were forbidden artifacts that were forbidden their use, either forged by mortals and cursed by the foul acts committed with them, or forged by gods through dark magic. These things were given to Xibalba to watch over, since he was the only god that could not corrupted by the dark magic and siren songs of these artifacts, having being born in a family of dark magic users (that, and Zipacna was far too irresponsible for the job).

Among these artifacts was the Medal of Everlasting Life, now tucked away in one of the heavily locked drawers, Xibalba's Sword of Seven Sins, which he himself forged for the years he went to war, and others he had been tasked to guard.

But the most outstanding object was the great, black book with red carving symbols on its cover that lay on top of a wooden pedestal at the end of the room. The counterpart to the Book of Life.

The Book of Death.

This Book contained forbidden spells that could not be used under any circumstance, lest the balance between Life and Death be altered irremediably. No one really knew who had written those spells, but whoever it was, it had to be someone with a black soul, as black as the Pit itself. But even if someone were ever to get his hands on the Book of Death, the spells it contained could only be casted by highly skilled dark magic users. It was even rumored that one of those spells could bring anyone, be it mortal or god, back from the dead.

Anyone would have thought that if that were the case, giving it to Xibalba to guard was a grave mistake, especially with his beloved wife dead. Xibalba wouldn't deny it; he _did_ consider performing the ritual in his desperation and grief, but he also knew things like these weren't for free, there was always a price to pay, and it was always very high. Indeed, when he read those words, those horrible words in the dark pages, he immediately knew it would be a grave mistake. No. The cost for bringing his beloved La Muerte back was too high, even for him.

Xibalba ran a finger over the leather-bound book, feeling the dark magic emerging from it like a malign aura. He wondered why he hadn't destroyed it already, thrown it into his fireplace to serve as firewood. Maybe it was because he knew Lord Quetzalcóatl would not be pleased, the Feathered Serpent had said that both the Book of Life _and_ the Book of Death had to be kept intact, for the Balance depended on it. This was the reason he gave the book to Xibalba; Quetzalcóatl knew him well, he knew that as desperate as he was, Xibalba's sense of duty was stronger than his grief, and his love for his daughter even more.

Letting out a sigh, Xibalba turned his back on the book and glided out of the room, stamping his staff on the ground to close and seal the doors shut once more. Everybody knew Xibalba was a man of his word. When he wagered with someone, he was likely to do _everything_ in his power to ensure his victory, but when he lost he would _always_ fulfill his end of the deal. He had given his word to Quetzalcóatl that he'd keep the Book of Death safe, so he would keep it safe.

Just like he had promised his daughter that he'd always protect her.

* * *

While the Land of the Forgotten was naturally cold, dark, barren and unwelcoming at first sight (with a very good reason), it was a warm cottage in the middle of a freezing mountain compared to The Pit. It was located deep under Xibalba's castle, and as such could only be reached from within it, through a hidden door whose location was only known by Xibalba himself.

The Pit was even darker and colder than the rest of the realm, if that was even possible. It was inhabited by the scum of humanity, those who had done terrible things in life; normally these souls would go to Zipacna's realm, but those in The Pit were cast aside from that bunch and cast in here for crimes against the Gods themselves. Escaping from The Pit was completely impossible, all the prisoners were held in iron-fortified cells, and bound with unbreakable chains whose rattling often echoed in the darkness.

Among these forgotten, tortured and resentful souls was a very familiar spirit, feared and hated in the three worlds, whose death was still celebrated in the Land of the Living.

Chakal, the Bandit King.

Being trapped in that awful place had taken its toll on him. Like all Forgotten, his colors were black and green, but like those who lost their minds and turned into beasts, his fingers had turned into pointed animal-like claws, as well as his previously-already sharp teeth. His clothing was all torn, viciously torn apart by its owner after not having any more things to break or rip apart, since trying it on the shackles on his wrists and ankles holding him captive was a complete waste of time. His time in there had made him crueler and more vicious than when he was alive, if that was even possible, even though he had nothing to do all day other than roar in anger and try to break through the bars of his cell, even though he knew it was no use.

Even the other prisoners in that place were starting to fear him, knowing he had lost his mind long ago, long before he even came down here.

However, you couldn't escape _without_ help, but you could if someone from the outside set you free.

Chakal might have been human, but as a spirit, his senses had become sharper. And as such, he saw the dark shadow outside his cell, with glowing orange eyes that looked like fire.

"So… this is the famous Bandit King I've heard about?" the shadow raised an eyebrow. "No offense, _amigo_, but you don't look like it."

"Who in tarnation are you?" Chakal growled, like an animal defending its territory, with gnashing teeth.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The shadow did a small bow. "Víbora Colorada, at your service."

"Unless you have come to free me from this…" Chakal looked around his cell. "…place, you better scram back to wherever you come from, you insignificant creature."

It took Víbora every single bit of patience in his shadowy body not to go through the bars and strangle the spirit for such insolence. "I'd watch my words if I were you. What you see is only my shadow, if you saw my true body you wouldn't be so confident."

"Well then, if you're so mighty and powerful, why are you in that shadowy form instead of coming in you're so-called true body?"

"Do you want to hear my proposal or not?

"Proposal?" This caught Chakal's interest; in life he had been known to be an addict dealer, often making deals and pacts with corrupt politicians to take rivals 'out of the map', along with many other kinds of deals. "What proposal?"

"You see, the reason I hang around in this…" Víbora looked down at his inky black body. "Form, is because my real body is imprisoned, chained in the deep parts of this realm. I can see you are in a similar problem to mine, _amigo_, so I want to offer you a deal."

"Deal?"

"You scratch my back, I scratch yours. I release you from this prison, and you release my body from its imprisonment."

"And why should I help you? I'm not stupid, I've dealt with worst people than you, spirit. What do I have to win?"

"Isn't your freedom enough?" Víbora sighed. "You humans always want more; don't you know that's what got you into this mess in the first place?" the snake rolled his eyes. "If I told you I can help you retrieve the Medal of Everlasting Life and get revenge on San Ángel?"

Chakal's interest sparked at the mention of the medal and San Ángel as he turned to look at the snake with a questioning look.

"Ah, so you now pay attention." Víbora chuckled. "You may already know this, but this prison is located beneath the stronghold of Lord Xibalba, the ruler of this place. You could get back the Medal of Everlasting Life back in the blink of an eye, and not only that…" he grinned evilly. "That medal is not the only thing that Xibalba keeps here."

"I'm listening."

"He has many other weapons, pieces of armor, artifacts that you could use to rise to power once more. You would be unstoppable, not even the Gods themselves would be able to stop you. And I could take you back to the Land of the Living so you can have your revenge on the cursed town you found your demise in, and who knows? You might even get revenge personally on the one who killed you."

Víbora's words were like poison, a siren song, evidently shown as Chakal's lips twisted upwards in a malicious grin, imagining himself murdering the _guitarrista_'s beloved girl in front of him, then giving him a slow and painful death, and then destroying that pathetic little town to give an example to anyone who ever thought of going up against him.

"What exactly do you have in mind… _amigo_?"

"Xibalba is the ruler of this place, he is one of the strongest, most powerful and feared Gods in the pantheon. But…" Víbora chuckled evilly once again. "…He has _one_ weakness."

"A weakness, you say?"

"His daughter, the brat whose name is Marigold. He adores her, she means the whole world to him. If we want to hurt him where it hurts the most, and gain a leverage on him, we must do so through _her_."

Víbora knew Xibalba very well. The dark god could resist anything related to both physical and psychological torture, having grown under an abusive father. He could withstand pain like a stonewall. But if his _daughter_ was _hurt_…

Well, no father could endure under those circumstances.

* * *

"Seriously, sweetie? Did you have to bring that mutt to the table?"

"Come on, papá. He's not even bothering you."

Xibalba sighed as he set his fork with a piece of bacon down. "Maybe, but it's anti-hygienic to bring animals to the table."

"Look who talks, the one who brings a _snake_ to the table." Marigold smirked triumphantly when her father grabbed Ponzoña gently and tried to place him on the floor, only for the two-headed snake to wrap around his arm in fright when Marigold's pup approached him and started sniffing him.

"Ponzoña has no fur, and I don't have to worry for finding hairs in my food." The dark god crossed his arms.

"Well, at least fur doesn't kill you like a snake's venom, right?"

Xibalba was about to retort, but found he had no arguments to counter that. For goodness sake, this girl even got her mother's cleverness! Marigold won this one, and she knew it, he could tell by the smirk on her face.

"One day, Marigold, one day…" he grumbled under his breath, though Marigold could tell he was actually impressed by her cleverness.

"Ay, papá." She giggled, before continuing with her meal consisting of waffles with honey and some fruit accompanied with a glass of milk. She'd share bits of her food with her pup, now named Latoso.

"So, what are you going to do today?" Xibalba inquired, taking a sip from his orange juice and hungrily going back to devouring his scrambled eggs, bacon and mashed potatoes.

"Well, I think there's going to be a corrida in San Ángel." Marigold replied.

"Oh, no." Xibalba sighed and took a hand to his temples. "Please don't speak the word _corrida_ in front of me." He had bad memories about that sport, particularly those that had to do with the last bet he made with his late wife.

"You don't like them? I thought you loved to see humans in pain." Marigold stated, sighing at the last part.

"While I usually enjoy a good spilling of human blood every now and then, _mi florecita_, this particular massacre is not in one of those occasions. I have…" he took another sip of his juice. "…bad memories about it."

"Well… you wouldn't mind if I go to take a look, right? I mean, I've always had curiosity for that sport." _If one could call it a sport_.

"Are you certain, sweetie? I mean, I don't think you'll like how it ends. You know they kill the bull at the end, don't you?"

"Not anymore, papá. Ever since Manolo refused to kill the bull, people started using a new technique used in Germany to finish the corrida."

"Well, that's a-" Xibalba stopped in mid-sentence as well as his hand in mid-air when he was taking a piece of egg to his mouth. "How do you know about that? You hadn't even been born when it happened."

Oh, no. Marigold trembled internally under her father's questioning look; she nearly gave herself away. She knew about it because Juan Carlos had told her, but she couldn't tell that to her father. She had to think of something, _fast_.

"Everyone in town is talking about it." She blurted out quickly. "I overheard some people mentioning something about a new bullfighting technique. When I inquired about it, they said that María Sánchez had seen different bullfighting techniques on Europe, and there was one where the bull was spared, and Manolo thought it would be a good idea."

"That woman…" Xibalba rolled his eyes, apparently accepting the answer.

"Do you know Manolo or María in some way?"

"I… Not really, it's the first time I've heard about them, all I know is that they're Sanchezes." Marigold knew nothing about the wager he and La Muerte had done seventeen years ago, and he'd rather keep it that way.

"So, is it okay for you if I go take a look at the _corrida_?"

Xibalba shrugged. "If it makes you happy, sweetie." He placed a hand on hers. "Just try not to get trampled on by the bull, okay?"

Marigold rolled her eyes. "Papá, you act as if **I** was going to fight the bull."

"Remember, sweetie-"

"I know, 'stay five meters away from boys'." She sighed in annoyance.

"That's my girl." Xibalba was oblivious to her annoyance (or he simply loved to tease her like this) and ruffled his daughter's hair playfully. "Would you pass me the ketchup?"


	4. Corrida!

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 4- Corrida!

* * *

San Angel's _Plaza de Toros_ was boiling with cheers of excitement as the people waited for the newest bullfighter of the Sánchez family to come into the arena. They wanted to personally see this so-called new bull-sparing technique everyone was talking about. Everyone was hoping he wouldn't end up forfeiting the bullfight like his father did years ago.

María, on the other hand, was hoping _that_ would happen.

"I still think this was a bad idea, Manolo." She said, from their seats in the balcony. "We can still stop this."

"Don't worry, María, he's a Sánchez." Manolo gave his wife a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine, you know when he wants something nothing will stop him."

At the other chair, next to Manolo, Joaquín let out a hearty laugh. "Ha, just like his father." He turned his attention to María. "I doubt something would happen to him, I mean, he has Manolo's wits and your strength."

"I'm glad papá agreed to look after Cristina.." María sighed, crossing her arms. "I don't want her to see this."

"So…" Joaquín decided to change the subject. "I hear Juan Carlos has a new 'friend', and I right?"

"I got the feeling they'll be more than that soon." Manolo chuckled. "You should have see how they danced a few weeks ago, and they just met."

"I got a feeling we'll have a wedding soon."

María frowned and let out a cough. "I think you two should be more worried about the trashing you'll get if something happens to my son."

Both Manolo and Joaquín glanced at each other nervously; if it concerned her two children, María could be very fierce. She only agreed to let Juan Carlos have his first bullfight because he wanted to somehow honor his ancestors' memory.

"Anyway, you should meet her soon." María smirked, satisfied that she made her point known. "Juan Carlos invited her over. She's a very nice girl, I'm sure you'll like it instantly."

Suddenly, the whole stadium grew silent, and the sound of sandals against the stony ground was the only thing that made a sound. Perhaps the young _quinceañera _with the dark, waist-length hair and stunning curves making her way to the balcony had something to do with it. Behind her, a Xoloitzcuintle pup trotted happily, with tail and ears held up high. Over the past few days, she had unintentionally intrigued the whole town with her 'mysterious air', since they didn't know where she lived, and they had not yet met her parents, all they knew about her was that she had arrived a few weeks ago with her widowed father, whom they had yet to meet.

Marigold felt her stomach churn when she felt everyone's gaze upon her; she had never liked to be the center of attention, it made her go stiff with tension and nervousness. Even though she was practically a fish out of water, she was already considered by the townspeople to be an exquisite and rare jewel; Already every young boy and man loved and wanted her, while every young girl and women wanted her looks and charm. She wasn't happy to say that already a few young men had asked her out, but she politely declined their offers, both to protect them from her father's wrath were he to find out they had dared to even speak to her, and because she wasn't interested in going out with men she didn't really know.

Finally, Marigold climbed up the stairs and arrived at the balcony, taking a seat next to María.

"I'm glad you could come, Marigold." María smiled kindly at her.

"Me too." Marigold sighed happily. "I just hope papá won't have the marvelous idea to come take a look or I'll be in big trouble."

"Tell that to me, I know what it feels like."

"Marigold, this is Joaquín." Manolo introduced the young teen to his friend. "He's Juan Carlos's godfather."

The soldier grinned and nodded his had at her. "Mucho gusto, _señorita_…"

"Marigold Díaz."

The crowd erupted in cheers and whistles as the Rodriguez brothers played their instruments, signaling the entrance of Juan Carlos. Marigold immediately looked down to see her friend emerging from the gate, a clear look of confidence on his eyes, carrying a blood red cape over his shoulder.

"_Sí_, that's my son!" Manolo cried out in excitement.

"Show that bull who's in charge!" Joaquín added.

"Be careful, _mijo_!" María finished.

"I'd like to dedicate this corrida…!" Juan Carlos spotted Marigold sitting next to his mother, and motioned at her with a smile. "To miss Marigold Díaz! Once more, welcome to San Ángel, _señorita_!"

Marigold smiled sheepishly and blushed fiercely, taking a hand behind her head to fidget with her hair. Her attention was caught by the sound of a raging bull trampling at the wooden door keeping it inside its pen, before smashing it into pieces; Marigold gasped in surprise and shock. The bull was massive, there was no way Juan Carlos would be able to survive this without killing it!

"_Venga, toro_!" Juan Carlos swung his cape at the beast, provoking it. "_Venga_!"

Incensed and angry at the sight of the flinging cape, the bull charged at Juan Carlos; Marigold let out a gasp of fright, embracing Latoso tightly. Just when it seemed the bull was going to run through Juan Carlos, he quickly moved aside with a flung of the cape.

"_OLÉ_!" the crowd cheered, and threw roses and sombreros at Juan Carlos's feet.

Marigold and María let out a simultaneous sigh of relief; Juan Carlos lifted a rose from the ground and, glancing at the beautiful girl sitting next to his mother, lifted it up towards her with a smile, as if he was offering it up to her. Marigold blushed, but then her face changed from delight to fright. "Juan Carlos!"

He had been expecting the bull to charge from behind, however, and in a fraction of second he did an impressive backflip and another flung of his cape and the rose.

"_OLÉ!_"

"_Ése es mi hijo_!" María overcame her fear and clapped her hands at Juan Carlos.

"And here you were saying we were the ones who didn't worry at all." Joaquín chuckled.

Marigold felt her heartbeat accelerating its pace when Juan Carlos caught the falling rose right in his teeth. "Increíble."

The townspeople were excited, cheering for Juan Carlos, throwing more roses at his feet. The bull charged for the third time. Juan Carlos recalled the trick his father had taught him: when the bull was close, he flung the cape and lead him in the directions he wanted, making sure its horns brushed against the ground, creating a cloud of dust.

When the bull grew dizzy and it broke out of the cape's blinding influence, Juan Carlos used the cape to clear the cloud of dust to reveal he had written something in the ground.

**Marigold**

Marigold laughed and clapped her hands, blushing at the compliment as Juan Carlos bowed towards her.

Manolo was laughing too. "Yes, just like I taught him!"

The crowd was cheering his name wildly, a few of the townspeople even dancing around in excitement. Juan Carlos waved his hand at the crowd, causing a few girls to faint in delight; the young torero then threw away his cape, and readied himself for what was to come.

"_Venga_, toro!"

The crowd gasped in horror when he threw his cape away, staring at him like he had lost his mind; even the bull was confused as to what the torero was doing, but it was true to its nature and prepared to charge anyway. Father Domingo and the nuns resignated, María gasped in horror and Joaquín and Manolo couldn't help but gulp. Marigold didn't understand what was going to happen, until she recalled something she read; in Portugal there was a tradition called _pega_, where men tries to grab and hold the bull by the horns when it runs at them…

Wait, what?!

Her eyes widened in realization. He was going to try and do the _pega_ as the finale, but it was very dangerous, even mortal! She had read most of the _forcados_ could be sent into comas or even get killed. And this bull was a monster! Juan Carlos wouldn't be able to handle it on his own!

"Juan Carlos!" she cried out for him.

But the bull was already charging at him, its horns aiming for Juan Carlos's sides. What if he got hurt, or worse? Killed! Sure, he would go to the Land of the Remembered, but he shouldn't go just yet! She just cared too much for him.

Marigold acted quickly, but yet unseen; unbeknown to these mortals she could cast an invisible astral projection of her true form, but her father had strictly told her that it was only to be used for emergencies. Well, someone's life in danger could be considered an emergency, could it not? Marigold brought her hands together and closed her eyes shut, making it look like she was praying, but none of the mortals saw the semi-transparent figure that flew from the balcony towards Juan Carlos.

However, it was known that _animals_, on the other hand, had keener senses, and could see things that humans could not.

When the bull caught sight of the winged goddess behind Juan Carlos stretching out her raven wings threateningly, it immediately tried to brake just its horns were grabbed by Juan Carlos, his feet and the bull's hooves making friction against the ground, causing a great cloud of dust that hid them both from view.

Marigold opened her eyes and watched at the scene, praying it had worked.

María had gasped and taken her hands to her mouth, while Manolo and Joaquín watched in dread, fearing the worst. The cloud of dust cleared, and the crowd gasped.

Juan Carlos was holding the bull by the horns, completely unscratched.

Immediately the whole stadium erupted in cheers, hats were thrown into the air and roses into the arena. Juan Carlos released the bull's horns and allowed the beast to go back into its pen. He bowed at the crowd, erupting into more cheers and yells of excitement.

"Juan Carlos! Juan Carlos!"

Marigold stood abruptly and clapped her hands wildly. "WHOO! SÍ, ASÍ SE HACE, JUAN CARLOS!"

From the shadows, a pair of orange eyes watched amusingly as the human lifted yet another rose at the disguised Goddess. "Vaya, vaya…" Víbora chuckled. "Who would have thought? A Goddess in love with a human… Xibalba is _sooo_ going to like this."

* * *

He did _not_ like this.

Xibalba had enough with his paperwork to have to deal with bouquets of flowers and boxes of candies sent by the much younger, still single gods who sought his daughter's hand in marriage, now that she was old enough. It was known in the realm of the Gods that Marigold was the most beautiful Goddess currently alive (second, if La Muerte were still alive), and so she was sought as a wife by many of the single, Casanova gods.

And like every father, he drove away any male who had the galls to even think about taking his little girl.

So, bouquets of flowers were used as firewood, the chocolates were given to the servants so they could have something tasty to eat-in the rare occasions that the chocolates were really tasty, Xibalba reserved those for himself- and love letters were ripped apart into bits of paper and thrown into the lava pits illuminating his throne room. Frankly, he wanted to make his own choice on who would be her husband (if he ever allowed her to marry at all).

Someone kind, gentle… who could always make her laugh and protect her from harm.

He had seen countless types of marriages in his long existence; before, people married for life, but these days, it only lasted for a few years before the fires of love were blown out forever and the couple went their separate ways. He didn't want this for his daughter. He didn't want her with an idiot who was only after her good looks and body, and would discard her once he was satisfied.

He would gladly see his little Marigold married for love, but not with just anyone. She was _his_ Marigold, he would not give her away so easily. He had made her a promise, and he would fulfill it.

Just as the dark god threw the latest bouquet of lilies into his fireplace, there was a knock on his door.

"_Hermanito_, you in there?"

Great. Of all the times, Zipacna had to come over right now. "Come in."

Zipacna opened the door and walked inside. He smelt the air, and caught the scent of flowers… or what was left of them.

"Hey, Xibalba, is it me or it smells like burned flowers?" he inquired.

Xibalba sighed in annoyance and pointed at the burning bouquet in his fireplace.

"Another one?" the crow-caiman inquired. "Who sent it this time?"

"I don't know, I didn't look at the card." Xibalba replied simply, rubbing his temples.

"You know, if you keep it like this you're never having _nietos_."

Xibalba glared at his brother. "_Nietos_? Marigold's only fifteen, for goodness sake!"

"And yet, she's already being swooned over by potential suitors, isn't she?" Zipacna thought for a moment. "Let me guess, she doesn't know about _this_, does she?" he inquired, pointing at the fireplace where the bouquet had long turned into ashes.

"No. I'd rather keep it that way, she doesn't have to be worrying over something trivial."

Zipacna chuckled. "Why don't you just admit you don't want to share her with another man?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"By the way, where's Marigold? I looked around for her, but they told me she had gone out.

Xibalba nodded, his features softening up a bit. "She went to see a _corrida_ in San Ángel."

"Aww, man, why didn't you tell me?! I love _corridas_!"

"If you hoped to see a blood spilling…" Now it was Xibalba's turn to chuckle. "You would have been disappointed, anyway. They're using a new way that spares the bull."

"_Demonios_!"

"Are you staying over for lunch, brother?"

"Well, hermanito, as much as I'd like to, I'm afraid there's a bit of a commotion down there…" Zipacna sighed and took a hand to his temples. "Cerberus has gone into strike again, and you know how that dog gets…"

"Don't remind me…" Xibalba shivered internally upon recalling his last (the first, actually) visit to his brother's domain.

"See you later, _hermanito_." Zipacna spread out his wings, but before he teleported away, he took another smell at the air. "By the way, if you don't want Marigold to know about the bouquets you should think about a better way to get rid of them." Then he was gone in a blur of black feathers.

Once he was alone, Xibalba let out a sigh as his back met the wall and his wings drooped to the ground. Zipacna had brought up a topic he hadn't thought so much about.

Grandchildren?

He had never really thought about that before. He had never imagined his little girl expecting a baby of her own; she was too young. She was so innocent…

There was yet another knock on his door, but he wasn't so annoyed anymore. "What is it now?"

"My Lord." Emilio spoke. "Your daughter is back, she is waiting for you in the Dining Hall."

"Tell her I'm coming."

"Yes, My Lord."

Marigold didn't like to have left in the middle of the celebration, but one of the conditions her father gave her to visit the Land of the Living was that she'd have to come home for lunch. Juan Carlos understood it, and casually he told her it would give him time to make a 'surprise' for her. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of surprise he was preparing for her.

She was brought out from her thoughts when her father walked into the Dining Hall.

"Marigold, sweetie!" he chirped. "How was the-?"

"_Hola_, papi!" Marigold teleported closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck happily, then planting a kiss on his cheek.

"…_corrida_?"

"It was amazing! You should have seen it, the torero stopped the bull by the horns!"

"He did?" Xibalba couldn't believe it. "Well, now that you mention it, who was the torero?"

"Who…?"

"You know, sweetie, the one who fights against the bull."

Before Marigold had even time to freak out about what to tell her father, suddenly Jorge rushed into the Dining Hall carrying a whole flower arrangement with a note attached. "My Lord, another arrangement arrived, do you want me to put it in…" he noticed the surprised look on Marigold's face and his master taking a hand to his temples in dismay. "Oh."

Marigold blinked. "Another? You mean there are more?"

"There were-" Jorge was interrupted abruptly when Xibalba snapped his fingers and 'zipped' his mouth shut.

This only caused Marigold to look at her father with a questioning glance. "Papá…"

"Just another attempt to swoon you over, _mi florecita_. You should give it no importance." Xibalba replied gently.

"Papá, the flowers are not to blame for your jealously, can I at least keep them to decorate my room? You can throw the letter away if you want."

Xibalba thought for a moment, before sighing. "If you wish so, sweetie."

"Jorge, would you be so kind to take the flowers to my room?" she giggled when the lizard let out a muffled reply. "Oh, sorry." She snapped her fingers and 'unzipped' his lips.

"As you wish, _señorita_." Jorge panted heavily at the size of the bouquet and quickly made his way back into the halls.

"So, _mi florecita_…" Xibalba tried to change the subject. "What would you like to eat today?"


	5. Serenata

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 5- Serenata

* * *

After lunch, Marigold returned to San Ángel, to the celebration held by the townspeople in honor of the torero's successful bullfight. Xibalba was not fond of mortal celebrations, and besides he had tons of paperwork to fill out that couldn't wait anymore. Still, Marigold promised him she'd bring some chocolate churros when she got back.

As he dipped the tip of his black quill in the inkbottle and continued with the paperwork, there was a knock on the door of his study. "Come in."

Emilio pushed the door open, and approached his master's desk holding an envelope in his hand. "Sorry for the interruption, My Lord, but someone sent a letter-"

"You know what to do with those things, Emilio." Xibalba replied, not bothering to look at the lizard.

"But it's not for miss Marigold, My Lord, it's for you."

That caught the dark god's attention, as he lifted his gaze from the papers and glanced at his servant. "For me?" he placed his quill on the inkwell and took the envelope from Emilio. "Who sent it?"

"It doesn't have a remittent, My Lord, it only says it's for you."

Confused, Xibalba tears the envelope open and slits a paper out of it, then he unfolded it and read whatever it had so say.

**My Lord**

**Your daughter is having an affair with a human. **

Incensed, Xibalba immediately wrinkled the paper in his hand and set it ablaze in green fire, until it was nothing more than ash.

"What did it say, My Lord?!" Emilio blurted out nervously.

"Nothing of importance." Xibalba replied coldly, letting the ashes fall from his glove. "Just some idiot who had the galls to send a prank note."

"Prank note, sir?"

"That letter accused my daughter of having an affair with a human. Can you believe it? My Marigold would never do something as foolish as that."

"Certainly, My Lord."

Out of all lizards, Emilio was the closest to Xibalba (if one could call it like that), he had been with the dark god ever since his birth, and was more like a father to Xibalba than Akrinok ever was. Sure, Emilio never forgot his place, though, he was just a servant… a servant who had great deals of affection and respect for the god he had seen grow from a timid, shy young prince into a strong, confident King, but a servant nonetheless. Xibalba, however, would never forget the lizard's kindness and the friendship he offered when he lived under Akrinok's abuses, and though he didn't show it openly, had a great affection for him too.

In other words, Emilio acted as some sort of confidante with the dark lord.

"I suppose you have not yet found a potential suitor for miss Marigold, I presume?"

Xibalba took a gulp from his wine-filled goblet before replying. "No."

"Haven't you got anyone in mind?"

"No, I'm afraid Marigold was never very comfortable near other gods when she was little, in part thanks to Tlaloc's daughters."

"Surely, there must be a handsome young god who has caught her eye."

Xibalba's features softened. "No, and I'm thankful for that. I…" he sighed sadly. "I'm just not ready to let her go yet. I love her too much…"

True to his words, Marigold had never liked to interact with other god children when she was little, thanks to an unpleasant experience with Tlaloc's numerous daughters; after that fiasco, she only interacted with the children of the Land of the Remembered, and didn't want any contact with other god children, thinking they would be mean to her. Because of this, she never met any young boys of her own kind, when any tried to invite her to play with them she cried and hid behind her father. This eventually decreased her chances of ever meeting her soul mate.

Ah, soul mates. In mortal words, it meant a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity. But for Gods it was a much more serious matter; it meant having a deep connection, an unbreakable bond with a person before you even met it. One could not guess who his/her soul mate could be, sometimes it turned out to be the least expected person, though there were signs to be looked upon as a hint, such as a physical feature. These soul mates were usually lovers, and ended up marrying.

This had been the case with Xibalba and La Muerte. They met young and became friends since childhood, but although they had met outside any marriage planning, soon it was clear to all the gods that they were soul mates for a particular feature they had; Xibalba was born with red eyes, representing the color that the young goddess often wore in her clothing, and La Muerte with dark blue eyelids, like the dark color of the young god's skin. Their union was allowed since they were both gods of the death (though La Muerte's younger sister could never accept that Xibalba loved her sister and not her). It was all chalked up to them finding each other before any official appointments could be set up, and of course any matchmaker would've paired them off either way.

Still, Xibalba was grateful his little Marigold had not yet found her soul mate. He wanted to enjoy her for a bit more while before she left the nest (which he hoped wouldn't happen in at a thousand years).

"Well, My Lord, if you don't need anything else, I'll be taking my leave." Emilio whispered, turning around to head towards the door.

"Emilio."

Surprised, the lizard look back to glance at his master.

Xibalba had his back turned on him, but he smiled lightly. "Thanks for listening to me."

"You're welcome, My Lord."

Once Emilio left the room, Xibalba went back to his desk and continued with his paperwork, but he couldn't get the words of the note out of his head. He refused to believe it, he was certain it was a prank note. Just wait till he found the one who sent it, he'd be sorry for it. _His_ daughter? Having an affair with a mere mortal?

Nonsense talking.

* * *

Juan Carlos paced in front of the proposal tree worriedly, tuning the strings of his guitar every few minutes to make sure they had the tone he wanted. It would be nighttime soon, he had asked Marigold to meet him here at twilight. She would be here soon, he wanted everything to be perfect. The party was still going at San Ángel, he had managed to sneak out without anyone noticing.

"Still nervous?"

Well, _almost_ anyone.

"Cristina, I told you that you could come if you promised not to do any noise!" Juan Carlos groaned at his little sister.

"Marigold hasn't even arrived yet!" Cristina retorted, placing her hands on her hips. "Besides, you know you need advice about girls!"

"I got papá for that, thank you very much."

"Papá is a boy! You have to ask a girl what girls like so get a girl to like you!"

"Not all women are alike, you know. Just look at mamá, she's not exactly very girl-like." Juan Carlos sighed. Sometimes he thought his mother was more of a man than he or even his grandfather (in her likes, at least). "Remember grandpa told us that she was very rebellious when she was little. Even after returning from Spain she still had a tomboyish touch to her."

"Marigold is not mamá. She is a bit more girly."

Juan Carlos shushed his little sister when he noticed Marigold crossing the bridge. "There she comes! Hurry, hide!"

"Where?!"

"I don't know! Behind the tree!"

Cristina groaned and ran to one of the nearby bushes to hide behind it. Marigold didn't take that long in crossing the bridge, she was soon at the feet of the tree where Juan Carlos awaited for her, guitar in hand. The last beams of sunlight were reflecting on the lake, giving it an almost magical look.

"Sorry for the delay, I passed through a churro stand to reserve some chocolate churros for my papá. He's got a terrible sweet tooth."

"Just like you." Juan Carlos commented.

"Yeah, unfortunately, I got it from him." Marigold sighed in dismay. "Well, what was that surprise you had?"

"Well…" Juan Carlos accommodated his guitar in his arms and offered her a grin. "I wrote you a song."

"Oh my gosh… a song? For me?" No one had ever had such a detail for her.

"Yeah. My papá helped me a bit, though, he's got much more experience than me in that."

"But it's sweet on your part, Juan Carlos. Really."

Managing to calm himself down, Juan Carlos offered his friend a smile and started playing the guitar, his fingers drumming the strings gently.

**Te soñé**

**Estaba despiesto y te mire**

**Pensé sonar… Pues no creí que fuera real**

**Tanta suerte al despertar**

**Y mirarte descansar**

**Segura y junto a miii…**

Marigold gasped at the beautiful song, taking her hands to her chest and smiling at Juan Carlos as he kneeled down in front of her.

**_Te soñe_**

**_Y estabas tan bella, tan mujer_**

**_Pensé sonar_**

**_Pues no podia imaginar _**

**_Que sería de mi vida sin tu amor_**

**_Sin tu calor…_**

Cristina giggled from her hiding place behind the bush, watching as her brother sang to Marigold; sure, she was not yet old enough to know what love was, but even she could tell there was a spark between them, even though none would admit it just yet. This intuition women had was something men would never understand, how they sniffed love like hounds sniffing prey and could tell when men were being sincere about their feelings. Juan Carlos's voice turned passionate.

**_Tuve momentos de profunda soledad_**

**_Y ahora no lo creo y junto a ti me encuentro_**

**_Desesperado estuve a punto de caer_**

**_Y apareciste un día_**

**_Llegando hasta mi vida_**

**_Y te soñe_**

Marigold was so moved by the song and the music that she kneeled down alongside Juan Carlos to look at him in the eye; they had a shine, a warmth that made her feel happy. If her wings were seen, they would be twitching in delight and pure bliss. Juan Carlos was in a similar trance, feeling happy everytime he looked at her, how her green eyes hypnotized him and her dark hair glistened under the twilight sun.

**_Estaba despierto y te…_**

They were so lost in each other's eyes they failed to notice a rather oversized crow had perched on one of the branches of the tree.

**Soñé.**

Cristina squealed when the two closed their eyes, letting the moment overcome them, and their hearts started beating as one as they leaned in to the other's face…

Suddenly the crow flew down from the branches of the tree and started pecking at Juan Carlos's head, breaking them out of the trance.

"Ayayay!" he cried out as he tried to scare the crow away, dropping his guitar in the process.

"Oh _por dios_!" Marigold panicked and picked up the guitar to swing it at the crow. "Shoo! Get out of here!" However she caught a glimpse of green in the crow's eyes as it finally left Carlos alone and flew towards San Ángel. It didn't take her long to figure out who it was.

"**_Tío_**_ Zipacna!"_ she thought to herself, wanting to strangle her uncle for this.

"Owowow…" Juan Carlos rubbed the spots on his head where the crow had dug his beak.

Cristina could take it no more and she burst out in laughter, losing her balance and falling through the bush. Juan Carlos blushed in embarrassment at his sister's laughter. "I don't find it any funny!"

B-But I do!" Cristina replied between laughter.

"Are you okay, Juan Carlos?" Marigold inquired, handing him over his guitar once more.

"Yeah, don't worry, just a few pecks, nothing serious." He sighed. "Sorry that bird had to ruin your surprise."

"Oh, never mind that. It was very sweet on your part. I loved it. No one has ever done such a thing for me." It was Marigold's turn to blush. "_Gracias_."

"You're welcome, Marigold. I'm glad you liked it."

"I told you she would!" Cristina smirked triumphantly, puffing out her chest proudly.

"Well, how about we go back to town? It's going to get dark, and the coyotes will come out soon."

The trio walked down the bridge, Juan Carlos still rubbing his head from the pecking he received on the crow's part, still wondering why it had suddenly attacked him. Marigold, meanwhile, already wanted to kill her uncle for ruining such a beautiful moment; and she thought her father was overprotective. At least it hadn't been _him_ who saw her, or she'd be in _big_ trouble. When they were walking through the main street, Marigold saw her uncle, in the form of the crow, perched on a rooftop glaring daggers at Juan Carlos.

"Hey, Juan Carlos, how about you go on ahead? I have a little thing to do."

"Sure, just be careful with that crow. I think it's got something against us or something." Juan Carlos glanced around for any signs of the black bird, but Zipacna flew to another rooftop before he could be spotted.

Marigold ran towards the alley as Juan Carlos and Cristina continued on her way; when she was certain they were out of earshot, Marigold returned to her true form and flew into the rooftops, landing next to her uncle.

"What was that for, _tío_?!" she shrieked angrily at him, her feathers bristling.

Zipacna returned to his godly form in a blur of black feathers and crossed his arms at her. "I was about to ask you the same thing! What are you doing, hanging around with a human?!"

"You're already starting to sound like papá!"

"Don't you see what you were about to do?! You are playing with fire, _sobrina_!"

"Why?! We weren't doing anything wrong!"

"You were not?" Zipacna narrowed his eyes and pupils. "You nearly broke the Ancient Rules! They clearly say that kind of interaction with humans is _strictly_ forbidden!" he thought for a moment. "Oh, my mistake. **Interacting** with mortals **at all** is strictly forbidden!"

"But Juan Carlos doesn't even know my true identity! And even if that were the case, that doesn't give you right to mess with him!"

"I'm just trying to protect you, Marigold!" Zipacna's glare turned into a worried expression. "If Xibalba finds out you disobeyed him, _again_, you won't like it. You already saw how _that_ turned out."

Marigold shivered as she took her hand to her cheek, recalling how her father _slapped_ her in a moment of anger at her stubbornness. That was the first time he ever lay a hand on her; although he was really sorry for it, she would never forget it. Still, her uncle was right in one thing; if sneaking out without her father's permission made him angry, she didn't want to imagine how he would react if he ever found out of her friendship with Juan Carlos.

"I get it, _tío_, but I'm not doing anything bad. He's just a friend, nothing more."

"That's what your father said about your mother when they were teens, and look at them now. Well, at Xibalba, if you know what I mean…"

"Please, don't tell papá about this!" Marigold pleaded at her uncle. "I don't want him to hurt Juan Carlos!"

"He can't do that, even if he had every reason to do so. The Ancient Rules forbid it."

"Promise me you won't tell him!"

"Marigold, how can you ask me to lie to my own brother? He'll kill me! He's already mad enough at me!"

"Please!"

"But-!"

Marigold used her secret weapon. "Pleeeaaase!"

Oh, no! Not the puppy look! Zipacna turned away from her, but she teleported in front of him, still with the puppy look in her face. Letting out a groan of defeat, Zipacna complied. "Okay, okay. I won't mention anything of this to Xibalba."

Marigold let out a sigh of relief. "_Gracias, tío_."

"But you should really think about it, _sobrina_. What you are doing is very risky, you already saw your father's temper."

"I'll tell him, I just need to find the right moment."

"There is no right moment in such a serious matter."

"Come on, _tío_! I don't see anything bad in being friends with Juan Carlos! He's a very good and kind young man."

"I already warned you, _sobrina_. If you want to be friends with him, try to keep it like that. You don't know the punishment for breaking the Ancient Rules, and I hope that you never do." With these parting words, Zipacna changed back into a crow and disappeared into the night.

Marigold watched him fly away, until his figure was lost in the night sky. She turned into a blur of rose petals and headed towards the party. Both deities failed to notice the orange eyes peeing at them in amusement.

"Now, _this_ ought to be interesting. "


	6. Beso

Chapter 6- Beso

* * *

_He was awakened abruptly by his daughter's cries._

_Reluctantly, Xibalba stood up from bed and trudged towards his daughter's cradle to check on her and see what was wrong; little Marigold was squirming in her bassinet, tiny tears rolling down her cheeks, her crying was so loud she didn't hear her father coming closer to her. _

_"__Sh-sh-sh-sh. __**Ya**__, __**ya**__, __**esta bien**__, __**mi florecita**__." Xibalba picked Marigold up and held her close to his chest, bouncing her. "What's wrong?" As tried to soothe his daughter down, Xibalba noticed that she was trying to snuggle deeply into his embrace and her little fingers grasped unto his finger. Suspecting what was wrong with his beloved child, the dark god muttered a spell under his breath and touched Marigold's forehead with a his finger; he saw flashes of a frightening shadow growling and baring its teeth, and then a commotion. _

_She had a nightmare about the night Víbora attacked._

_So she still remembered it. Muttering another spell, Xibalba drew a symbol of green energy on his baby's forehead; after a few seconds the symbol started disappearing, and Marigold's cries diminished into sobs, before calming down and falling back asleep. It should block that memory for some time, now. When he was certain Marigold had fallen asleep, Xibalba planted a kiss on her forehead and placed her back on her bassinet, back to her pleasant dreams._

* * *

"So, you and your father are really that close?"

Marigold nodded with a small smile. "Yes. We only have each other; ever since my mother died he's been very protective of me. Well, I think you already know that."

Juan Carlos shivered. "Don't remind me, you were right when you said he looked scary."

"He's like that with all the boys that try to come near me."

"How was your mom like?"

"I don't really remember… She died giving birth to me, but papá has told me she was very kind, sweet and strong. I wish I could have met her…"

The party in Casa de Sánchez was still alive, with people around chattering and refilling their cups with more wine. Overall, they were gossiping about Juan Carlos and Marigold, some of them assuming they were already dating though the both of them quickly denied it with awkward blushes.

Marigold wished someone had told her that Juan Carlos's paternal grandfather was so… how to say it… annoying.

"So, this is the new girl in town?" General Posada was examining her with critical eyes like he were a critic examining a piece of art.

"Her name is Marigold, _abuelo_, I'd be thankful if you'd refer to her by her name." Juan Carlo groaned.

"You picked a good one, kid, she looks like she would be an excellent housewife."

"Papá!" María scolded her father, partly irritated that he had to say those comments in front of her son's new friend.

"What? Look at her, she's very good looking. I bet they're going to have lots of kids too."

"_Abuelo_!" Juan Carlos groaned in embarrassment, taking his hands to his head.

She felt uncomfortable around General Posada, but she chose not to say anything. After all, it was Juan Carlos's family, and if she wanted to be friends with him she'd have to accept his family, though she was certain she didn't like General Posada that much, or maybe she just had to know him a little better.

"General, I don't think they're ready for that just yet, they're still young." Joaquín commented, saving them.

"Exactly, the younger the better chances of conceiving healthy children, especially boys. Besides, I wouldn't dislike the idea of having another _nieto_." General Posada shrugged. "I can imagine it. A strong, bulky young man in the army."

"Actually…" Marigold gathered the courage to speak. "I've always thought of a girl if I ever had children…"

"Oh." General Posada sounded disappointed. "Well, in that case, I can recommend you to boarding schoold in Spain."

"PAPÁ!" Maria snapped, startling all present men when she jabbed her fork into the table. This called the attention of the guests, they immediately knew that something had gone wrong.

That was it.

"I think I've lost my appetite." Marigold tried her best to sound coolly as she stood up from the table. "I need some fresh air, so I hope you'll excuse me. _Buenas noches_."

"Marigold!" Juan Carlos went after her as she made her way outside. Once they were gone, María shot her father an irritated look. General Posada noticed, but he had not yet figured it out what was the cause of it.

"_Qué_? Was it something I said?"

Marigold grumbled under her breath as she made her way to the plaza, fighting her urge to turn into her true form and give General Posada a good scolding for talking about women like that.

"Marigold!" Juan Carlos caught up to her and stopped in front of her to prevent her from leaving. "I'm sorry for that-!"

"How can he say those things about women?!" Marigold snapped, a fire burning in her eyes.

"I know my grandfather is not very… likeable at first, but he is a good person in his own way…" Juan Carlos thought for a moment. "I think."

"Did you hear him? I've met many _machistas_ in my life, but none like him! I'm sorry to say this, Juan Carlos, but I doubt I'll ever like your grandfather!"

"I don't blame you, actually. I didn't like him that much when I was little either."

This surprised her. "You didn't?"

Juan Carlos sighed sadly as he sat down on a nearby bench. "He wanted me to join the regiment, but mamá didn't want him to control my life like he tried to do with her, and besides I felt bullfighting and playing the guitar was my true call. He is still sore about it."

Marigold sat down next to Juan Carlos. "That doesn't excuse him for talking about women as if they were nothing more than servants to men."

"That's another thing. My grandmother left him when mamá was very young, precisely because of his _machismo_. So grandpa thinks all women are alike because of that, he won't talk about it."

"That's horrible…" Now that she knew the whole story, she felt a bit of sympathy for General Posada. She even was close to thinking his situation was similar to that of her father- No! They may have lost their wives, but her father was never _machista_ nor made her less because of her gender.

"What about yours?" Juan Carlos suddenly brought out.

"Huh?"

"Your grandfather. Did you meet him?"

"I…" Marigold looked down sadly. "Not really. Papá said he passed away when he was fifteen in a fight with another go-man. He was…" her father didn't know she knew about this, so she was hesitant to continue, but she relented. "He was very cruel."

Juan Carlos felt a shiver run down his spine at her tone. "Does that mean…?"

Marigold nodded solemnly. "He was abusive to my father when he was a child. Papá doesn't know I know about it."

"How did you find out?"

"When I was little, I used to go to papá's room everytime I had a bad dream. One night that I went there, I heard he was arguing with someone. I peeked through the door to see who was with him, and but I… I saw no one other than him. And I noticed he had scars on his back. I was so scared I went back to my room." Actually, she had seen her father arguing with a specter, the ghost of a black dragon who she instantly knew was her grandfather, but she couldn't tell that to Juan Carlos.

"That's tough…"

"Yes, it was…"

For a few minutes they said nothing else, they simply sat down on the bench looking at the sky… After a while, Juan Carlos couldn't help it any longer and he glanced subtly at Marigold. For some reason the night air seemed to bring out more her natural beauty, and her serene face captivated him. When she glanced at him he quickly turned his attention around at something nearby.

"Say, Juan Carlos…" Marigold blushed deeply. "Thanks for today. It was awesome."

"I'm glad you liked it, I spent half a week practicing with a boar to carve your name in the ground, and I can't say it wasn't painful…" Juan Carlos rubbed his back in reminiscence.

"I'm glad you were not hurt, that bull was a beast."

"Don't worry, my father once faced a much bigger bull."

"I thought he didn't like bullfighting."

"It's… a long story.

Both teens glanced at each other's eyes, and immediately they were back in the trance they had been in before Zipacna interrupted them. Unknowingly, they were leaning in their faces closer to each other.

"Marigold…"

"Yes…?"

"You have beautiful eyes…"

"You really think so…"

The both of them closed their eyes and leaned their faces closer, their lips joining together in a moment of tenderness, their hearts starting to beat quickly and their hormones peaking; Juan Carlos pulled Marigold closer by the shoulder, and she responded with a caress to his hair.

* * *

In the Land of the Forgotten, Xibalba felt a feeling of dread in his chest, similar to what he felt when Víbora was about to attack his baby fifteen years ago.

* * *

"Marigold!"

Suddenly, there was a squeal of delight behind them, once more bringing them out of their trance.

"I told you they'd end up together!"

"Be quiet, _mija_!"

"Oh, shoot, I think they've heard us."

"Don't move, maybe they'll think it was an animal."

Reluctantly breaking apart from the kiss, Juan Carlos and Marigold glanced behind at a bush, recognizing those voices. "Papá?!" Juan Carlos said in surprise and embarrassment.

Immediately, Cristina, Manolo, Joaquín and General Posada fell out of the bush over each other, with Cristina on top.

"Seriously, guys?!" Juan Carlos groaned. "Can't you give us some privacy even for a few minutes?!"

"Cristina's idea." Joaquín said nervously.

"Hey!" the girl protested.

"Well, thanks for ruining one of the most intimate moments in our lives!"

Marigold took a hand to her mouth to try and contain her giggles as Juan Carlos argued with his family, until realization hit her.

"Excuse me, what time is it?" she asked in alarm.

"Half past nine, I think." Manolo replied, standing up and dusting his clothing.

"Oh, _por dios_! Papá will kill me! Sorry, I have to go! Bye!"

As she quickly ran down the street, Juan Carlos watched her go with a smile, ignoring the comments of his family about the kiss, his face all red with both embarrassment and delight. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to… give it a try, would it?"

* * *

Marigold appeared back in her father's castle, praying with all her might that he was still working and hadn't noticed she had stayed out past her curfew. She skipped down the corridor towards her room, but as she crossed the doors that led inside, she was utterly startled when she felt her father's arms wrap around her figure tightly.

Xibalba was worried sick about his daughter ever since he had the feeling something had happened to her, but Emilio convinced him that maybe he was just exaggerating and she was just doing fine. He had been pacing in her room, fearing the worst, and was about to go look for her when she came in.

"Marigold!" he immediately flew towards her and held her tightly in a hug, his wings wrapping instinctively around her. Latoso lifted his head from his owner's bed to look at the scene.

"Papá-!"

"Are you okay?!" Xibalba started checking his daughter for any major injuries.

"I'm fine, papá."

"Are you hurt?!"

"No."

He held out three fingers in front of her. "How many fingers do you see?"

"Papá!"

"Just answer the question!"

"Three!"

Xibalba managed to calm himself down, and embraced Marigold one more time. "I was worried about you, _mi florecita_."

Although annoyed by his exaggeration, Marigold didn't want to get on his bad side now that she was already in hot water for staying out past her curfew, and returned the embrace. "I'm okay, papi, don't worry."

The dark god pulled back and took her by the shoulders. "You should be more considerate, Marigold! I was worried-sick about you! You should have been back half an hour ago!"

"I'm sorry, papá, I lost the track of time."

"Well, my dear, what matters now is that you're safe and sound." Xibalba kissed his daughter's forehead. "For a moment I was fearing the worst, _mi florecita_."

"Papá, you're talking like I was threatened by something."

"You are-" he stopped himself before it slipped his tongue.

"I'm what?" Marigold inquired.

"It's nothing, my sweet. I've just been stressed out these days, that's all."

Marigold grinned at her father. "By the way, papi, I think I know what can cheer you up." She took her hands behind her back, and a few seconds later she revealed a plate of _churros_ coated in chocolate. Immediately, Xibalba's lips curved upwards into an excited grin.

"You remembered it!" he chuckled, taking the plate from Marigold's hands.

"How could I forget?" Marigold smiled up at him, floating up to him and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Besides, I'd like to taste those too."

"In that case, let's go to the Dining hall and you can tell me all you did today."

"Okay."

Marigold felt unusually cheerful, and she followed her father out of the room, her feathers twitching in delight. She couldn't stop thinking about Juan Carlos, and how they had kissed-sure, the moment was not precisely the most romantic one in part thanks to Cristina and everyone, but it still felt magical-under the moonlight, how her heart drummed inside her chest and she felt like the happiest girl in the world. Maybe… She recalled when Carmen gave her The Talk, and her words about the 'butterflies in the stomach'. Perhaps… she had always dreamt of meeting her true love, but could it be?

Xibalba, meanwhile, still couldn't get the feeling of dread out of his thoughts. She was safe and sound, but he still had the feeling something was off. She looked happier than usual, maybe it had something to do with her day up in the _corrida_; even after they sat down at the table, Marigold was still smiling for no reason at all.

"Sweetie?" he finally asked.

No reply.

"Marigold?" Xibalba touched her shoulder to make her react, and she looked up at him.

"Sweetie, are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, why do you ask, papi?"

"Well, you're… happy."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I'm not saying you shouldn't, but is there a particular reason you are so happy?"

"I had lots of fun at the _corrida_, especially the finale."

"I see…" Xibalba took a churro and gave it a bite; there was a party in his tongue as he took the rest into his mouth and tasted it savorily.

"Say, papá…" Marigold was hesitant to ask him this. "How did you feel when you started to fall in love with mamá?"

Xibalba glanced at his daughter in surprise at the topic of her question as he was about to take another churro. "Why would you like to know?"

"Well… Curiosity. But really, papá, how did you know she was _the one_?"

"It's hard to explain." Xibalba replied softly, smiling and looking up in remembrance. "We met as children, so I didn't realize I was in love with her, but I liked being close to her most of the time and everytime we touched I felt I was in the clouds. As we grew up I started to feel the famous butterflies in my stomach everytime I was with her and my heart drummed inside my chest when she touched me… I wanted to see her happy all the time." A thought came to him and he shot Marigold a half-accusing look. "You're not seeing a boy, are you?"

"What?!" Marigold blushed deeply and she wrapped herself in her wings. "Are you nuts?! I don't even know that many boys, remember?"

Xibalba accepted the answer, and ruffled her hair playfully. "Don't worry, my sweet, someday you'll find your soul mate."

Not too soon, he hoped.


	7. Intrigue

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 7- Intrigue

* * *

The next few days were a swirl of different emotions for everyone.

For Marigold and Juan Carlos, there was an obvious air of love and affection that grew stronger each day, as everybody had said, many of the young girls were comfortless when they heard Juan Carlos, the most good-looking young man in town, was dating with the outsider, while the men were jealous that the lovely newcomer's affections had been won by Juan Carlos. Marigold did her best to cover up her traces so her father wouldn't suspect what she was doing in the Land of the Living.

For Xibalba, it was both annoyance and worry, the first because these notes and short letters accusing his daughter of having an affair with a human wouldn't stop, and because Marigold had started spending far too much time in the Land of the Living that he'd actually like. That, and she would be late for meals or miss them altogether, and she'd been in a pretty good mood. But he trusted her, and he would not doubt of her words everytime she gave him an explanation.

For Manolo and María, they were happy that their son had found his first love, and with such a pretty and good-natured young lady. Sure, they had a long way to go, they were still too young and no one really knew if this attraction they had for each other was temporary like it often happened in many young couples, but up to now, everything seemed to be alright. Joaquín was happy that his godson had finally gotten a girlfriend, Cristina jumped in delight at the idea of having a 'big sister', and General Posada… Well, he was General Posada.

That morning, in Casa de Sánchez, three members of the family were already down in the kitchen, having some steamed vegetables for breakfast.

"What's taking Juan Carlos so long?" María wondered, looking at the stairs. "It's already nine o' clock and he's still in bed?"

"He has a date with Marigold today, he wants to look cute." Cristina stated.

"Come on, mija, eat your vegetables." Manolo told her when he noticed she only touched the puree.

"Yuck."

"Come on, Cristina, remember you're not leaving this table until your plate is empty." María told her daughter playfully, brushing a hair from her face.

"Speaking of Marigold, have you met her father?" Manolo inquired, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Juan Carlos said he only met him hen he and Marigold were dancing, her father arrived and took her away. No one has seen him ever since."

"I managed get a glimpse of him, and I don't know why, but… I had the feeling he looked familiar somehow…" Manolo still remembered that man with the tan complexion, dressed in black, with contrasting white heard, and carefully combed beard and moustache. He couldn't shake off the feeling he had seen him somewhere.

"Come on, Manolo, you can't find someone whom you never met before familiar." María stated. "Maybe you were just exhausted…"

"No, no, I'm certain there was something about that man…"

Before he could continue, Juan Carlos slid down the veranda of the stairs, with his hair all combed, wearing a white shirt with black pants and boots, holding his guitar in one hand as he hugged his father, and kissed his mother and sister's cheeks. "_Buenos días_, everyone!"

"Wow, Juan Carlos, you look handsome." María smiled. "Any special plans for today?"

"I'm taking Marigold for a picnic." Juan Carlos smiled, drumming the cords of his guitar. "I can't wait."

"You're meeting her at the plaza, as always?" Cristina inquired with bright eyes.

"Yes."

"Can I go with you?"

"No."

"Mamá!"

Manolo and María laughed, until Manolo decided to ask. "Hey, mijo, when you met Marigold's father, did you see anything weird in him?"

"Manolo." María reproached her husband lightly.

"What do you mean with 'weird'?" Juan Carlos asked.

"I don't know… Did you find him strange in any way?"

"No, but… he was a bit scary. If you had seen the way he looked at me, it was like he thought I was a serial killer or something."

"He's just protective of his daughter, there's nothing weird in that. It's what fathers do." María defended him.

"But it felt like he was very possessive of her. Marigold said he'd never harm her, but I couldn't help but fear for her."

"Well, if Marigold was certain her father wouldn't lay a hand on her, then it must be true and we just need to know him a bit more."

"We'd have to actually meet him first…" Cristina muttered.

But Manolo was stubbornly certain something about Marigold's father was off. And he'd find out what.

* * *

Marigold hummed dreamily as she ran her brush through her long dark waves, wondering if she should let it loose like always or if she should tie it into a ponytail or a braid. Instead of her causal dress, she was wearing a beautiful yellow dress with white flowers and black sandals. Finally setting her brush down, Marigold took her fingers to her mother's pendant around her neck.

"What do you think, mamá?" she asked to one in particular, but to her it felt like her mother could hear her. "Do you think he'll like it?" After another quick look at her hair, Marigold decided to tie it into a long braid; it would take her another few minutes, but it would be worth it.

Xibalba was already waiting for her in the Dining Hall for breakfast, and he noticed she was taking unusually long in coming down. When he was about to go upstairs to see if she was okay, she glided through the doors, looking as beautiful as ever… then he noticed she was dressed differently, and her hair was braided.

"M-Marigold?" the dark god examined his daughter's new look with surprise.

"What's wrong, papi? You look like I grew another head or something." Marigold giggled.

"I'm sorry, my dear… It's just you look different. You braided your hair?"

"Yeah, you like it?"

"You look beautiful." Xibalba smiled, taking a hand to his daughter's cheek before the both of them took their seats in the table. "But tell me, is there any reason you are so fixed up?"

"I just wanted to try a new look. Do you like it?"

"I admit, I was a bit taken aback by the sudden change, but it looks good on you, mi florecita. You look like you were going out on a date-"

"Papá! How can you say that?!" Marigold blurted nervously out of sudden, blushing deeply. "I don't even know any boys, remember? The only boy I ever knew was Juan Carlos, and I have not seen him!"

"It was just a comment, my dear, you don't have to get so on the defensive." Xibalba stared at her in confusion.

Marigold blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, papá…"

"Don't worry, my dear, it's not such a big deal…"

Footsteps echoed in the hallway as Roberto ran into the room, holding an envelope in his hand. "My Lord… There's another one."

Xibalba took a hand to his temples and grumbled under his breath in annoyance, which didn't go unnoticed. "Papá, is that another love letter for me?" Marigold inquired.

It took him a while to reply as he snapped his finger and the envelope disappeared from Roberto's hand, probably to turn into ash in the fireplace. "Don't worry about it, my sweet. I'll take care of this later."

Marigold internally rolled her eyes; she seriously couldn't understand why he was so protective about it. They spent the rest of breakfast chatting about what she had been doing, and she had to be very careful in her words unless she wanted him to suspect she was lying to him. She had not realized Xibalba had already noticed she was behaving strangely. Once she was done with her plate of bacon and eggs, Marigold stood from table.

"I gotta go, papá." She kissed her father's cheek. "I promised the nuns I'd help them bake some bread for the children."

"How come you ended up working for those old women?" Xibalba inquired playfully. "But well. Have fun, my sweet." Once Marigold disappeared in a cloud of rose petals, the dark god glanced in annoyance at Roberto; if the lizard had stayed there, then whatever he had to tell him was important. "Let me guess, you read it, didn't you?"

"W-Well, My Lord, you were so busy that I thought it would be nice to save you the bother of reading it yourself."

"Well, what did it say?"

"As you can guess, someone accuses Miss Marigold of having an affair with a human."

Xibalba would have driven his fork into the table were it not made of obsidian, and he did not want another bended utensil. "And have you found the prankster?"

"The hounds have not been able to catch a scent, My Lord. It's almost as if whoever sends these letters is a ghost or something."

"I see."

The dark king rested his elbows on the table, and intertwined his fingers, thinking. Was Víbora behind this? Up to now, it was the most viable option, he was the only threat he had to worry about. But he didn't understand, what did Víbora win from inventing these things…? Unless…

NO! How could he ever think of doubting his daughter just because of words written on a paper by his worst enemy? Roberto noted the thoughtful look on his master's face, and thought it wouldn't do bad to give him a bit of advice.

"My Lord… I wouldn't like to tell you what to do, but if you want to be certain those letters are nothing more than lies why don't you follow your daughter?" he quickly regretted having said that phrase when his lord and master gave him a dark look.

"You imply that I doubt of my daughter's sincerity?"

"Nonono! It's just a suggestion, that way when you see for yourself those letters are nothing more than trash talk you can feel a bit more calm."

Xibalba closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "I'll think about it. For now, just leave me alone."

Roberto gave him the correspondent bow and scrambled out of the Dining Hall before he did a royal screw up again. First those letters, and now Roberto's words; he knew the lizard didn't mean to make him doubt, he had tried to make him lose his doubts. But he unintentionally triggered the opposite reaction. Sighing, Xibalba stood up from the table and grabbed his staff, stamping it to the ground to bring Ponzoña to life. The two-headed snake glanced at his owner with both heads questioningly.

"Follow Marigold." Xibalba told him. "Follow her around San Ángel, but do not let her see you; then return to me and inform me of what she is doing." When Ponzoña nodded both heads and hissed in agreement, he snapped his fingers, and the snake disappeared in a burst of green fire. Xibalba glided to the window in the far wall and glanced outside with his hands behind his back, his wings close to his body.

He was certain Ponzoña would tell him nothing was off with Marigold's latest behavior.

* * *

Ponzoña appeared underneath a small box in one of the town's many streets. He peeked one head out from under the box's shadow to make sure there was no one around, and then quickly slithered behind a plant pot. Ponzoña sniffed the air, and quickly caught Marigold's scent of roses; however, he had to be careful not to be seen by the passing by people as he followed the trail. It wasn't long before he spotted her, running down the street towards the plaza.

Marigold didn't even suspect that she was being followed; she was supposed to meet with Juan Carlos under the statue of Captain Mondragon, then they'd go to the proposal tree for their date. She was a bit taken aback when she didn't find him, until a pair of hands came from behind her.

"Who am I?"

Marigold giggled and turned around to meet Juan Carlos. He was holding a small bouquet of roses in his hands and there was a grin on his face.

"You look beautiful with braided hair."

"Thank you, Juan Carlos." Marigold blushed, accepting the bouquet. "You combed your hair?"

"It's an special occasion, so yes. Well, how about we go before people start gossiping about us again." The both of them laughed and held hands lovingly as they walked down the street.

Ponzoña could not believe what he was seeing. So Marigold was hanging out with a human; his master would not be pleased when he knew of this. Still, before doing anything, he decided to follow them around a bit more. Hours passed, and he watched as they went to the Proposal Tree to spend most of the day, eating from a basket Juan Carlos had brought. When the two-headed snake had seen enough, it vanished in a swirl of green fire.

"Wow, your mom sure does know how to cook." Marigold complimented.

"You should have seen the first time she tried it, papá once told me that when I was a baby her cooking was not very good. But he still ate it, because he loved her and it made her happy that he 'liked'." Juan Carlos blushed. "I mean, people do crazy things for love, don't they?"

"Yeah. Papá said mamá was very fond of wagers, and they'd wager on simple things to pass the time." Marigold giggled at her next words. "Mamá almost always won."

"Wow, that's bad luck."

"Well, yeah, but I'm not happy to say that papá was also a known cheater. He'd always do anything in his power to ensure he won, and when mamá found out…"

"I think I get it."

"Yeah, but in the end they always reconciled. Their love was very strong… I can't imagine what papá went through when mamá died."

"I guess it must have been hard for him, and for you too." Juan Carlos took her hand. "These days it's very common for women to die at childbirth, no matter how healthy they are. I've heard of fathers that blamed their children for their wives' deaths."

"That nearly happened to me, but thankfully papá did love me."

"Say, Marigold, I know it's not very proper to ask you this, but have you ever had a boyfriend before?"

"A boyfriend?" Marigold laughed humorlessly, leaning her back against the tree. "I didn't have any friends."

"You didn't? I guessed a lovely girl like you would be very popular."

"No. When I was a child, my father and I went to a meeting of his work. One of his colleagues had many daughters, and papá hoped I'd make some friends with them, but they were mean to me and one of them ripped my plush apart. I never got along with other children after that."

"Not even when you grew up?"

"It got worse. Boys started to try and talk and play with me after I turned ten. I as happy at first because I thought they wanted to be my friends, but then I realized they were only after my good looks, or because of my family's social position. Eventually, I didn't want anything to do with them."

Juan Carlos felt bad for Marigold and he held her hand reassuringly. "Well, now you've got me. And I don't care if you are from a wealthy or poor family or if you're ugly or beautiful, I like you for who you are."

Marigold smiled at him with red cheeks. "Really?"

"Yes. You're sweet, kind, strong…. I don't know what kind of people can't see those qualities in you."

Moved by his words, Marigold cuddled closer to Juan Carlos. "_Gracias_, Juan Carlos."

Juan Carlos pulled her closer and leaned his head against hers. "You're welcome anytime, Marigold."

Suddenly, Marigold felt a shiver run down her spine, and a pair of two eyes spying at her from somewhere. She looked around in alarm, but saw no one. "What's wrong?" Juan Carlos asked her.

"I-It's nothing… I thought someone was watching us, but I guess it was all in my head."

She didn't see the red skull pupils staring down at them from the trees branches.

When Ponzoña went back and told him what he had seen, Xibalba didn't want to believe it. He hoped Ponzoña had misunderstood things, but now that he was seeing his daughter with that… that… His blood was boiling, his grip on his staff was so hard he nearly broke it, his teeth were sharp and pointy like the fangs of a shark. She _lied_ to him, **_again_**. He would have forgiven her anything else, but this…

Xibalba could have swooped down from the tree and snatch his daughter back home, but no… he didn't want the boy to suspect anything. He'd handle later.

The dark god disappeared into the shadows of the tree.


	8. Confrontation

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 8- Confrontation

* * *

Marigold peeked around the corridors of the castle carefully, as not to run into her father while she still had the bouquet of roses Juan Carlos had given her. If he saw her with those roses, there was no way she could invent a excuse for that. Latoso trailed after her, wagging his little tail and helping his owner make sure there was no one around. She was already past her curfew again; they had fallen asleep under the tree, and it gave them eleven o'clock before waking up.

Marigold and Latoso were passing through the Throne Room, which was unusually inky dark, but she knew her way through here even if blindly. She slowly made her way towards the corridor that led to her room…

"Where were you, _jovencita_?"

Marigold jumped when she heard her father's voice, and the candles of the throne room immediately lit up. Xibalba was sitting on his throne, his arms crossed, his eyebrows puckering into a frown as he gave his daughter a cold glare. Marigold had been quick to hide her bouquet of roses behind her back, but she couldn't help but tremble a bit in nervousness at her father's tone of voice.

"Well?" Xibalba pressured, standing from his throne, taking his arms behind his back and walking towards Marigold. "I'm waiting for an answer, Marigold."

When he didn't call her _mi florecita_, or my sweet, or my dear, she knew she was in trouble.

"I was in San Ángel, papá, remember?" Marigold managed to speak without stuttering, but her father's eyes glaring unto her were making it difficult. Latoso hid behind her, sensing Xibalba was very angry.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Eleven o'clock."

"And you know your curfew starts at nine o'clock. And yet, look at what time we are. Is there any particular reason for you to stay out so late?"

"No, papá…" Marigold slowly made her way to the corridor without exposing her back nor the flowers. "I'm sorry about it, it won't happen again-"

"What do you have in your hands?"

She froze. "M-My hands?"

Xibalba narrowed his eyes. "Yes. What are you hiding behind your back?"

"It's nothing, papá… I'm just trying to stretch over my wings a bit…" She extended her wings to try and hide the bouquet from view even more, if that was possible, and now was walking even closer to the corridor.

Finally, Xibalba lost his patience. "Don't you think you've lied to me enough for one day?!" He stepped forward and snatched the bouquet of roses from her hands. Marigold stepped back in horror as her father examined the roses with narrowed eyes, before looking back at her. "Who gave you this?"

"Papá, I-"

"No, no, I don't need you to answer that question."

When Ponzoña slithered up his master's arm and gave Marigold an apologetic glance, she realized what had happened. He must have sent Ponzoña after her. She grew angry and incensed, but now was not the moment, especially since she was already in deep hot water.

"How long, Marigold?" Xibalba hissed, his eyes expressing a mixture of anger, disappointment and hurt. "How long have you been seeing that boy behind my back?!"

"Papá, it's not what you think-!"

"Then what is it?!" With a snap of his fingers, he transported the three of them to Marigold's room. Latoso immediately ran to the underneath of Marigold's bed, in case Xibalba exploded.

"Juan Carlos is just my friend!"

"Really? Because you looked pretty cozy to me!"

"I don't get why are you so angry, papá! I was just-!"

"Why? WHY?!" Xibalba yelled at her, though he refrained himself from doing anything stupid. "If I listed the reasons down, I would never finish! You lied to me **_twice_**, you saw a human behind my back, and you're about to break the Ancient Rules!"

"What?!" Marigold snapped. "Don't you think you're overreacting?!"

"Don't you think _you're_ taking things too _lightly_, _jovencita_?! Not only you hang out with a human, but you hang out with that good-for-nothing boy-!"

"Don't refer to Juan Carlos like that!" now it was Marigold's turn to snap at her father. "You can't judge him if you don't even know him!"

"I don't need to know him, all humans are alike! They're nothing but dirty, treacherous, untrustworthy beings!"

"BUT I LOVE HIM!"

Marigold gasped in shock at her sudden outburst and took her hands to her mouth in horror. Xibalba stared at his daughter with wide eyes, frozen in shock and bewilderment, before anger took over. "Have you lost your mind?! He's a human, and you're a Goddess!"

"I don't care!" Marigold crossed her arms and looked away.

Xibalba sighed in exasperation and closed his eyes, massaging his temples to try and calm himself down. "Marigold… You don't know what you're saying; whatever you think you feel for that boy is not real. It's easy to confuse your feelings at your age-"

"I'm not confused, papá! I'm sure that I love him!"

"What do you know about love, _niña_?! You're only fifteen!"

"You fell in love with mamá at your teens too!"

"Do not compare it, Marigold! Your mother was a goddess!"

"What's the difference, papá?!"

"There's a big crevice of difference, my child. Mortals are not like us."

"Papá-!" Marigold was close to tears now. "Look, I'm sorry for lying to you, but I knew you'd react like this!"

"How am I supposed to react, Marigold?!" Xibalba took his daughter by the shoulders. "You're my daughter, I don't want you getting hurt."

Marigold stepped back to release herself from his grasp. "Juan Carlos would never hurt me!"

"That's what you say because you don't truly know him! Once his true colors resurface, you'll regret it!"

"Why Is it so complicated to talk with you about this, papá?!" the young goddess turned on her heels and crossed her arms, turning her back on her father.

His patience started wearing thin. Clenching his fists, Xibalba growled. "You're _not_ seeing that boy again."

Marigold froze in place at those words she had been dreading to hear from him. She immediately turned around to see him and found he had turned his back on her as well. Xibalba grabbed Ponzoña gently and turned him back into a staff.

"Papá…!"

"You're forbidden from going to the Land of the Living until I say otherwise." He stamped his staff on the ground, and Marigold felt an unseen energy wrap around her wrists and neck, like shackles. A binding spell that would prevent her from leaving the Land of the Forgotten; she looked up at her father pleadingly and in disbelief.

"Papi, please don't do this!" she pleaded.

Xibalba closed his eyes shut in pain at his daughter's tone. "You left me with no other choice, Marigold. One day you'll understand that what I'm doing is for your own good." With this, he stepped out of the room and closed the door shut behind him, locking it from the outside with a snap of his fingers.

"PAPÁ!" Marigold desperately tried in vain to open the doors, but it was useless. "Open the door!"

One of the lizards that was dusting jars nearby saw the whole commotion and instantly knew something was very wrong. "My Lord, are you okay?!"

Xibalba glanced at him with a hard but pained look. "Do not let her out unless I say so, understood?"

Despite his hesitance, the lizard nodded and continued with his task, trying in vain to ignore Marigold's desperate cries as Xibalba walked down the hall.

It broke his heart to hear her pleading like that, but he hardened it and walked further away, but deep within broke each time he heard her pounding on the door, and her cries. This was for her own good; he had to be firm. She would come to understand it.

There was one more thing he had to do.

Meanwhile, Víbora's shadow watched the entire scene form the windows with an amused look. "Well, this is entertaining." With a sadistic grin, he vanished into thin air.

* * *

Juan Carlos had never been happier.

He had a great family, and now a kind and beautiful girl-well, they were not formally boyfriend and girlfriend, but he already saw Marigold as such. She was perfect in every single way in his eyes; sure, she did have a few setbacks such as her sometimes child-like innocence and her stubbornness at certain matters as well as her hot temper, but he still loved her just the way he was.

As he made his way back home, he was already wondering what other things they could do in their future dates, and was internally nervous for the sermon his mother would give him when he got home about staying out so late. He had to admit, though, it was very creepy at certain nights when there was new moon, without a single star on the sky. It got worse when he went through a dark alley as a shortcut to get home sooner, his parents were surely very worried.

Under these circumstances, it was natural that Juan Carlos grew startled when somebody grabbed him from behind and pushed him against the wall violently; when he glanced at the person responsible for this, he was shocked to find Marigold's father glaring into him with the fury of a demon, and yet he kept his cold air.

"E-Evening, _s-señor_…" Juan Carlos found himself trembling and stuttering, this guy was certainly creepy.

"Skip the formalities, boy." Xibalba snapped in his human glamour. "I assume you know why I'm here."

"Is it about Marigold?"

"I see you're not as stupid as I thought you were, so I'll only tell you this once. **Stay away from her**."

"_Señor_, I understand that you're trying to protect your daughter, but believe me when I tell you I have no bad intentions with her."

"I don't care what you say, I don't want you near my Marigold. She deserves someone better than you."

"I-If you would only let me s-show you that I c-can make her happy…"

"I don't need you to show me anything. This is my only warning, boy. If I ever catch you near my daughter again, I'll make you regret it. You don't know what I'm capable of for her sake. Am I clear?"

Not knowing what else to answer, Juan Carlos had to nod reluctantly. "_S-Sí, señor_… But please listen to me, I love Marigold-"

"I don't want to hear you, boy! I know what's best for my daughter, I won't let a common boy like you ruin her life. So you better heed my warning, stay away from her if you know what's best for you."

With this, Xibalba started walking away from the alley; Juan Carlos didn't know what happened next, but out of sudden a wave of courage to defend his love overcame him, and he didn't realize he had spoken until the man stopped right in his tracks.

"Excuse me?" Xibalba hissed dangerously, looking back at Juan Carlos with hate. "What did you say?"

"No." Juan Carlos repeated confidently. "I won't leave Marigold, because I love her with all my heart! I don't care what you say, we will find a way!"

"You better watch your words, boy." The disguised god walked towards the human threateningly, with clenched fists. "You don't know who I am."

"You can't keep her isolated forever! You think you're protecting her, but you're actually locking her up form the world-" he couldn't continue, for the man grabbed him by the throat and glares daggers into him. Still, Juan Carlos refused to back off. "If you continue to fight her about this she'll end up hating you." He was quick to regret these last words, for he felt his fingers tighten around his throat; he had struck a nerve.

It took Xibalba every ounce of self-control to retain his human form and stop himself from killing the boy on the spot for talking to him in such a manner. Really, this kid was just like his father. There was no way he'd ever let his baby hang around this human. Finally, the dark god released Juan Carlos and stared down at him coldly as he coughed to regain lost air.

"I've warned you." He spoke.

With these, he walked down the alley into the night, leaving a bewildered Juan Carlos behind. Juan Carlos picked up his guitar and resumed his way home; he'd have to find a way to see Marigold without her father finding them. He was in such a hurry he failed to see a crow perched on top of a roof, having watched the entire scene.

Zipacna had to admit that he was genuinely impressed by the boy's courage; no one had the guts to look at his younger brother at the eyes without fainting, let alone stand up to him. The only human he'd heard was brave (or foolish) enough to do so was the mortal named Manolo Sánchez, this kiddo's father. It seemed Juan Carlos inherited his father's will for fighting for his love to the end; maybe in a different circumstance, his niece could be happy with the boy, but she was born a Goddess, and he was born a human. That could never be, the Ancient Rules forbad it.

Zipacna took off into the night sky with a flap of his dark wings.

* * *

Marigold was confined to her room all day, except when her meals were taken up to her room, but she didn't touch them, she didn't want to eat anything. She was far too depressed. She spent the whole morning and afternoon in bed, her hair undone, still in her nightgown, her eyes red and puffy form having cried all night, and she was still crying. Latoso tried to comfort her by licking on her cheek, but she couldn't find it in her heart to smile at him for his attempts. She stiffened when there was a knock at her door.

"Marigold?"

Latoso hid beneath the blankets, while Marigold buried her face into a pillow as she wrapped her wings around herself. "Go away." She growled in a raspy voice.

Xibalba turned the knob on the door and walked inside, finding his daughter still on bed, her back towards him. Sighing, he made her way next to her bed and sat down, placing his staff aside temporally. "Emilio told me you have not eaten."

"If you came to give me another sermon, then leave."

"Watch your tongue, _jovencita_." He hardened his voice a bit, before calming down. "I came on peaceful terms."

"_As if._" Marigold thought to herself.

"_Mi florecita_, I understand you're angry at me, but you have to understand that I'm just doing what's best for you."

"How? By locking me up?"

"You took me to that extreme. You lied to me _twice_, Marigold, I can't overlook it for a second time."

"You know there's a reason for everything, don't you? If I didn't tell you about Juan Carlos was because I knew how you'd react."

"Marigold, I'm your father. My duty is to protect you, I'll never stop acting like even if you hate me for it sometimes."

Marigold didn't say anything to that; she simply tried to retreat further into her covers. Xibalba took advantage of the following silence to continue. "My sweet, if you feel like you're ready to start a relationship, the Candlemaker could introduce you to some gods-"

"Seriously?!" Finally, Marigold snapped and she looked at her father with bloodshot eyes. "You really think I can simply throw my feelings for Juan Carlos away to hang out with a ton of prepotent and arrogant spirits?!"

"Marigold, not all gods are like that. Your mother was a Goddess and she was kind and benevolent, you can find yourself surprised by them if you'd just give them a chance."

"In case you forgot, when I did try to be friends with other gods I ended up with chewing gum stuck to my hair and plucked feathers."

"Things have changed, they're all grown up now, they have matured."

"How can you be so certain with them but not with Juan Carlos?!"

"Marigold, I would see you married for love but that human-!"

"Juan Carlos! His name is Juan Carlos, and he is more noble than any of those snobs!"

"Why must you be so needlessly difficult, Marigold?! I already told you why you can't have anything to do with that boy!"

She was close to tears of both anger and pain once again. "Papá, please!"

Knowing it was futile to argue, Xibalba stood from the bed while glancing back at his daughter in pained disappointment. "No, Marigold. You _will_ do what I say, _no arguments_."

"But papá-!"

"I SAID NO!" Xibalba shouted as he turned around quickly to face his daughter with bristled feathers and sharp teeth. Marigold backed away in bed at the sound of his loud voice; he barely raised his voice, but when he did, it gave one chills. She could see it pained him to be speaking to her like this, it was clearly all over his face. He had never liked to deny his daughter anything unless he needed to put a limit on how much he pampered her, and this was one of those occasions.

Sighing, Xibalba walked towards the door without looking back. "We will not talk about this again, Marigold." He muttered. "Soon you will see that gods can have good qualities, if you only give them a chance."

These were the last words he spoke before leaving the room, his heart torn, leaving Marigold to cry herself to sleep once again.


	9. The Wager

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 9- The Wager

* * *

The fire in his fireplace was cackling, the wood sparking in protest as it slowly turned into ash; it usually had a calming effect on him, but on this occasion it was all the contrary. As he leaned against his chair in front of the fireplace, Xibalba examined the wine in his glass grimly, not making a single sound. The door of his chambers were locked, he did not want to be disturbed right now.

Seeking a bit of comfort, at least for a little while, Xibalba looked up at the wall above his chimney, where a great portrait of his beloved La Muerte hung. The crystal vase with the two marigolds she once used in her hair was at the portrait's feet, over the edge of the chimney. La Muerte was sitting on a wooden chair, a few curls of her long hair coming forward to her front; she was wearing her red dress and _sombrero_, but her hands were embracing a decent-sized bump in her belly. She was smiling in the portrait, it felt like she was smiling at him; Xibalba found himself smiling sadly at her. She had claimed she looked fat when she was pregnant with Marigold, but in his eyes she looked even more beautiful when she had been carrying their child in her womb.

As much as he tried to forget about the boy's words, they were stuck in his brain and stung him like angry bees after being disturbed, no matter what he did.

_If you continue to fight her about this she'll end up hating you._

Those words had more effect on him that he thought. Just remembering it made his grip on his glass become stronger to the point of almost breaking it; he had to admit, though, the mere thought of his child hating him stabbed at his heart. He adored her, she meant the whole world to him, more if I was possible, he wouldn't stand if she despised him. She had not eaten since yesterday, no matter how much the lizards pleaded her to.

He had not seen nor heard from Víbora's shadow in all these fifteen years, but he wouldn't let his guard down; that snake was probably waiting for the right chance to strike. This was why he was so protective of her, he had to be wary as long as Víbora was around.

But since the snake had not shown himself, his priority right now was Marigold's relationship with the human. He wasn't happy to say Marigold got her stubbornness from him, she wouldn't back out from things she wanted, and adding her willingness to stand up for what was right from La Muerte, she would never abandon her 'supposed' feelings for Juan Carlos.

Xibalba took a sip of wine from his glass, before swirling the red liquid with his finger. He had to show Marigold that humans were not trustworthy somehow, make her realize that interacting with them would only bring her pain; the last thing he wanted was for his baby to get hurt. He may be able to protect her body from all harm, but he couldn't say the same for her heart; he wouldn't know what he'd do if it was shattered. He knew what it felt like, it happened to him when he lost his wife. The feeling of suffocation in the chest, the endless rivers of tears, the nostalgia and the sorrow… he didn't want her to go through the same torture so young.

The infamous gears in his brain started turning; Marigold would not listen to him, but he was certain that the boy would sooner or later make a mistake… If he just showed her… showed her…

Ponzoña lifted his head from his hat stand when he saw his master standing up from his chair and heading towards the door, and let out a questioning hiss.

"I'm going to talk with Marigold." Xibalba replied, glancing at his snake, who immediately slithered after him and slid up his arm. The dark god turned him back into a staff as he walked down the corridor towards his daughter's room.

Opening the door, he found Marigold _still_ on bed, with no apparent intention of getting up. When she heard him come in, she tried to hide further beneath her covers.

"What now?!" she growled. "Can't you give me a bit of peace?!"

"Marigold, I just want to talk to you." Xibalba said gently. "Not argue, just talk, like when you were little."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, remember?"

"Look, I've been thinking…" the dark god sat down at the edge of her bed and hunched over to rest his back. "And I think I was too hard on you, _mi florecita_."

Although confused at her father's gentleness, Marigold emerged from underneath the covers to look at her father in confusion. "Huh?"

"I understand how you feel, Marigold, I really do; I was young once too, you know. But maybe it's best that I let you find out if your feelings for the b- for Juan Carlos are genuine or not for yourself."

"What are you talking about, papá?"

Xibalba turned to her with a small grin. "I'd like to make a little wager with you."

A wager? Marigold was now certain her father was up to something, he never wagered with her, claiming those kind of games were a serious thing. Unfortunately, she had both her parents' fondness for these games of luck and chance, and so her eyes lit up. "What kind of wager?"

"I will give you two days to test him. You can hang out with the boy as long as you'd like."

Marigold's eyes were lit up with hope, but she was also wary. "But what are the stakes?"

"If the boy proves that he is as good-hearted and that he truly loves you, I shall never mess with your love life again. But…" his voice grew serious. "…If he breaks your heart, in _any_ way, you will have to promise me you will never see him again, and you will marry whoever I think is a good match for you."

Of course, she knew he was up to something! She thought about his offer; what if she lost? No, Juan Carlos would never do that to her, he truly liked her, he was a good boy. And if she won, her father would never et his nose into her love life again. It was a good chance to prove to him that she could take her own decisions.

"So, do we have a deal, my dear?" Xibalba held out his hand for her with a grin.

Marigold was a bit hesitant, thinking on what she'd do if she actually lost, but soon she grasped her father's hand and shook it. "By the Ancient Rules."

Nodding, Xibalba snapped his fingers, and the invisible 'shackles' around Marigold's neck and wrists. "Well, sweetie, that friend of yours should be worried about you."

Smiling sadly, Marigold embraced her father and rested her head against his chest. "Thank you, papi."

The dark god returned the smile and the embrace, wrapping his wings around his child. "No matter what happens_, mi_ _florecita_, I'll always love you. Even though sometimes I have to be hard on you, it's for your own good."

"I get it, papá."

After a few more seconds, Marigold broke from the embrace and stood from bed to teleport to San Ángel (in human form). Once there, she immediately ran towards Casa de Sánchez to see if Juan Carlos was there. However, as she was about to run around the corner, she was suddenly dragged into the backyard by a hand, making her yelp in surprise.

Juan Carlos looked around to make sure a certain someone wasn't going to show up, and then closed the door before turning around to see Marigold. "Are you okay?! How did you get away?!"

She blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"How did you manage to get away from your father?"

"Did he do something to you?!" she was so going to get him if he did.

"Not at all." Juan Carlos shivered at the memory. "He only came to tell me to stay away from you."

She sighed; that's where her father had gone after locking her up. "I'm so sorry if he hurt you."

"What about you, did he hurt you?"

"No. He was furious, but he didn't hurt me. He only locked me in my room."

"And how did you get away?"

"I didn't have to, he… changed his mind. Sort of."

"Change his mind? Are you certain?"

"Well, he told me he'd let me feel how it was like to like someone." She smiled at him. "So we won't have to worry for now."

Juan Carlos felt a great weight being lifted off his chest. "So, we can hang out?" he grinned. "That's a good thing, because _tío_ Joaquín said he'd lend me his horse, so I guess we could go to a nearby town for a while. Well, when I figure how to control a horse."

"I could drive."

"You know how to ride a horse?"

"My papá taught me when I was little."

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?"

As the two of them ran out of the courtyard and towards Joaquín's house, Xibalba watched with wary eyes from the roof, stroking one of Ponzoña's heads softly as the snake hissed questioningly, confused as its master's change of mind.

"Patience, old friend." Xibalba whispered, glancing at the direction they had left. "I have a plan."

* * *

"How long is this plan of yours going to take, spirit?!" Chakal roared from within his cell, his chains rattling. "I'm growing sick of waiting in this damn rotten cell!"

"The key to the success of any plan is patience, don't you know that?" Víbora hissed. "Right now, Xibalba's relationship with his daughter is on weakening because of her affair with this human, who is coincidentally the child of the one who brought an end to your reign of terror."

"He is?" Chakal's mood enlightened in sadistic delight. "Now I have another thing to take away from that bullfighter to see him suffer"

"To succeed, we have to act when Xibalba is at his lowest, and I have the feeling that will be anytime soon."

"And why do you have such a grudge against this Xibalba? Whatever did he do that made you so hateful and bitter towards him?"

"I would rather keep that for myself, if you don't mind." Víbora hissed dangerously. "All I will tell you is that I have every reason to hate him."

_Every single one._


	10. Heartbreak

A Tale of Forbidden Love and Rituals

Chapter 10- Heartbreak

* * *

Marigold went to see the Candlemaker a day later to have a talk with him. She was in a very good mood for her time with Juan Carlos; everything was going perfectly, one day had passed since her wager with her father, if things went on like this for one more day she and Juan Carlos would be able to keep seeing each other and she wouldn't have to worry about her father any longer. She knew she had to tell Juan Carlos the truth sooner or later, but she needed to ask something to the Candlemaker first.

"You want to what?!" the Candlemaker had cried out in bewilderment.

"If the thing between me and Juan Carlos works, and he were to ask me the Question, I' like to say yes." Marigold explained. "But judging by your reaction, it's against the Ancient Rules, right?" she sighed at the last part.

"Not only that, Marigoldie! A god and a human cannot hang out in that way… Sure, death gods can bend these rules a little to make deals with humans, but only to some extent. And you say you wagered with Xibalba about it?"

"Yes."

"Well, I don't know what he was thinking. He perfectly knows that even if you win, he can't let you just start a family with Juan Carlos Sánchez. At least not until he kicks the bucket, and you know."

"I don't get it, Candlemaker! Why does everyone make such a fuss about the Ancient Rules?!" Marigold finally cried out in exasperation. "We're not committing a capital sin, we're trying to be more than friends!"

"You are committing a grave fault, you know that?" The Candlemaker stated nervously, and the Book of Life nodded quickly. "You don't take the Ancient Rules seriously because you're young, that's understandable, but it doesn't mean you should ignore them. You don't know what happened to those who dared to break them."

She didn't like this tone. "What happened to them?"

"All I will tell you is that the Greek gods broke about three dozen rules, and well, there are traces left of them."

"But isn't there a way that Juan Carlos and I can love each other without breaking the Ancient Rules?"

The Candlemaker shook his head. "We can't just change what's been written; it's written, case closed, no conversation-" the Book of Life suddenly flew to his face and opened up. "Oh… Yeah, that'll do it."

"What?"

"If I tell you this your father will probably murder me in my sleep, but… There are two 'holes' in the rules."

Hope glistened in Marigold's eyes. "What holes?"

"The first, a God and a _human_ can't be together, but a god and a _spirit_ is another thing altogether. Have you heard of the apotheosis?"

"It's when a human ascends to godhood, right?"

"Well, if a god is murdered by a mortal, well, someone has to take his place, and who could be better than the human who killed him? It doesn't have to be an important god, it could be a lesser spirit and the human could get his powers still."

Definitively, that was _not_ an option.

"The other?"

"If you and Juan Carlos turned out to be soul mates, the Ancient Rules wouldn't apply to you. When he dies, he will automatically ascend to godhood due to your soul bond with you."

"In either way he dies?" Marigold groaned. "The first one, it's probable he'd get killed before even killing a god. The second, we'd have to wait till he died, and who knows how long that will take. I know human lifespans are nothing compared to ours, but it's still not fair!"

"Well, first of all, he'd have to know who you really are. I have to guess he doesn't even know you're a Goddess just yet, does he?"

"I just… don't know how to tell him, what if I freak him out?"

"Well, if he truly likes you he won't mind." The Candlemaker grew nervous "oh, what do I know? I've been single for my entire life!"

Marigold rolled her eyes with a giggle; really, the Candlemaker and his antics.

* * *

Dark clouds were starting to engulf the red colors of the sky. A storm would come soon, very soon, so people were already closing their shops and going into their homes. Juan Carlos, however, was still in the plaza, waiting for Marigold to come back. She said she'd have something important to tell him today, so he was waiting for her to come. He didn't bring an umbrella, but he doubted it would take that long.

Xibalba was staring at him, waiting in a dark alley for the chance to come. Marigold would return soon, he'd have to do this when Juan Carlos was in her sight; he couldn't do this personally, she would recognize his aura and realize what he was going to do. Ponzoña, on the other hand… The two-headed snake was glancing up at his master with questioning eyes. However, Xibalba didn't say anything, and was actually reconsidering what he was going to do. The only way Marigold would apparently understand that humans could not be trusted was that she saw it with her own eyes, but it didn't mean he liked what he was going to do. But this was for her own good, he didn't want her to know what the punishment for breaking the Ancient Rules was.

Xibalba let Ponzoña slid off his arm and fall to the ground, before snapping his fingers and enveloping the snake in green fire. A few seconds later, in place of a two-headed serpent was an attractive young girl with red hair, hazel eyes and pink dress with exquisite curves. Ponzoña examined at his shape with shock and horror and looked up at his master. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!" he asked with a high-pitched woman's voice, causing him to take his new hands to his mouth.

"Don't be so exaggerate, it's temporary." Xibalba rolled his eyes. "I need you to do something for me."

"And why did you have to turn me into a woman-?!" Ponzoña looked back at Juan Carlos, then at himself, and connected the dots. "Oh, no! Nonono!"

"Only one kiss, Ponzoña, when Marigold comes and make sure she sees you."

"Seriously?! That's disgusting!"

Xibalba sighed in exasperation. "Do this for me and I'll let you pluck my feathers for your bed."

At that proposal Ponzoña seemed to considerate, but even with that he was reluctant. "If we do this you're going to break Marigold's heart terribly, you know that?"

Xibalba looked away with a sad and reluctant look. "It's for her own good, she'll understand it someday." He hardened his face and looked down at his snake. "Now go."

Reluctantly, Ponzoña walked (with some difficulty) out of the alley and towards the statue of Captain Mondragon, where Juan Carlos was waiting.

Juan Carlos heard footsteps behind him, and he found a young girl of about his age with red hair clumsily trying to walk over high-heeled shoes; his gentleman ship winning, he immediately skipped forward to catch her by the waist before she could fall to the ground. "Are you okay, _señorita_?"

Ponzoña's eyes glowed green as he immediately gazed into Juan Carlos's; the _guitarrista_ suddenly lost consciousness, though not in body; a curious ability Ponzoña had was an hypnotic gaze that could knock people out mentally and render them controllable, though he rarely used this ability unless his master sent him on a task that required it. Ponzoña shivered in disgust at what he was going to do, but his hypnotic powers only lasted for a short time; besides, the sooner he did this, the sooner it would end.

Closing his eyes shut, Ponzoña kissed Juan Carlos in the lips. Juan Carlos didn't know what was happening until he felt the girl's lips on his, until he caught sight of dark hair in the corner of his eye. Alarmed, Juan Carlos pulled away from the girl's kiss and embrace and found Marigold standing a few feet away, a look of shock and pain in her face.

Marigold had come earlier than planned to give a surprise to Juan Carlos, but it was the other way around. She was frozen in shock, seeing as he kissed another girl; she felt a painful oppression in her chest, and tears forming in the corners of her eye as she gave a step back.

Juan Carlos realized what was going on. "Marigold-!" He couldn't finish, as suddenly she started to run to the opposite direction with her heart shattered to pieces. "Marigold, wait!" Juan Carlos went after her, abandoning the red-haired girl. None of the two saw her turning into a two-headed snake and slithering into a dark alley.

Marigold didn't want to hear him, she didn't want to see him, she just wanted to get away and disappear. The torrential downpour on the clouds had finally been unleashed, and the cold rain drenched her clothing and hair, though she didn't care right now. Her feet were taking her somewhere; her vision was so blurry with tears she didn't see where she was going until she found herself under the Proposal Tree, and her nails digging into the bark as her eyes stung with tears. She heard Juan Carlos's footsteps behind her.

"Marigold, it's not what you think-!" he tried touching her, but she exploded in anger and smacked him hard across the face, sending him to the ground. Juan Carlos was surprised that she had so much strength, but now was not the moment to inquire about that. As he looked up at her, he saw a look of anger, hurt and pain on her lovely eyes that he never thought he'd see.

Marigold wanted to scream, but no words came out of her. Before Juan Carlos could say anything, her father came from behind the tree, giving Juan Carlos a hateful, hard look. But he looked completely dry, with no signs of the rain having drenched him. Just then, a crow-the same crow that had attacked him a few days ago-, flew down from the tree and perched on the man's shoulder. What happened next nearly gave Juan Carlos a heart attack.

"What happened, brother?"

The crow **talked**. How was it possible?! Neither Marigold or her father seemed bewildered by the bird's talking.

"Well, I suppose this charade has gone for too long." Xibalba said coldly, his words directed at Juan Carlos.

To Juan Carlos's utter but silent shock, the crow flew from his shoulder a few steps away from Marigold and her father, and transformed in a caiman-headed man covered in dark feathers that towered him. But the thing didn't end there; Marigold's father transformed into a dark skeleton with dark scarred wings. Both beings of darkness were staring down at Juan Carlos as if he were nothing more than an insect.

"M-Marigold…?"

She said nothing. To his astonishment she also transformed, but unlike the other two beings she turned into a young goddess with dark wings and hair, with eyes like those of her the dark skeleton.

Xibalba placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "We should get out of here, sweetie."

Marigold didn't even look at Juan Carlos as she turned around and wrapped her arms around her father, sobbing.

Juan Carlos tried to reach for her. "Marigold, wait!" He couldn't do anything as Xibalba stamped his two-headed snake staff on the ground, and both he and his daughter disappeared in a swirl of green fire, while the caiman-headed god vanished in a swirl of crow feathers. Juan Carlos fell to his knees on the spot where Marigold had been standing just a few seconds ago, his heart in his throat,

A thunder clapped in the dark sky as he let out a cry of pain and sorrow, calling Marigold's name.

* * *

Latoso perked up his ears as his mistress and her father teleported inside her room, soon followed by Zipacna. Marigold couldn't contain it any longer, and she burst out in tears, burying her face into her father's chest and wrapping her arms around him. Xibalba returned the embrace and wrapped his wings around her, stroking her head with his hand.

"Care to fill me in?" Zipacna inquired solemnly, placing a hand on his niece's shoulder as a comforting gesture.

"The boy was just toying with her." Xibalba replied simply.

"H-He was k-kissing another g-girl…" Marigold bawled. "I c-can't believe it…!"

"He what?!" Zipacna's feathers bristled in anger. "Why didn't you tell me sooner so that I could rip him apart?!"

"Because you'd do precisely _that_." Xibalba replied curtly. "As much as I'd like to see him dead, it's against the Ancient Rules."

"It's not that you ever minded about that, _hermanito_." Zipacna set his sympathetic gaze on Marigold. "_Sobrina_, if you need anything, you know where to find me." He patted her shoulder one more time before disappearing in a blur of feathers.

When his brother was gone, Xibalba went back to comforting his daughter. "Shhh. It's okay, _mi florecita_."

"Y-You were right, p-papá…" Marigold spoke in a broken voice. "You won…"

"Let's not talk about that for now, my dear. You're soaked, you need to take a warm bath before you catch a cold." He lifted his daughter's chin with his fingers to look into her eyes with a small smile. "How about you take a bath while I go fetch you some tea?"

Not knowing what else to do, Marigold nodded her head. As Xibalba left the room and went for the kitchen, he felt his heart squirming in sorrow at Marigold's heartbreak; he had never liked to see her cry, it made him feel sad too… but he was certain that she'd be back to her cheerful self in a few days, she had to.

Meanwhile, Marigold was already in her bathtub, her hair flowing underneath the warm water; the steam and the warmth of the water was having a relaxing effect on her body, and the feathers on her wings that were not submerged bristled in delight, but it couldn't do anything to calm the ache in her broken heart. The young goddess clutched her mother's pendant as it would bring her some comfort, but she couldn't stop crying.

"Mamá…" she sobbed. "I wish you were here… I need you so much…"

After twenty minutes, Marigold finally left the bathtub and donned a pink gown, before stepping out of her bathroom, her wings wrapping around her body instinctively. She was just sitting down at the edge of her bed when her father returned, bringing a cup of tea in his hands.

"Feeling better?" he inquired, sitting down next to her and handing her over the cup. "Here, it's chamomile tea with a bit of lavender, it'll make you feel better." He watched as she took sips from the tea, managing to calm down a little bit. When the cup was empty, she placed it aside on her bedside table. She felt her puppy's nose sniffing at her wing, and she took him in her arms to hold him close to her chest, still sobbing.

"Shhhh." Xibalba pulled her closer with an arm and wing. "It's okay, _mi florecita_. Don't cry."

"You won the wager, papá…" Marigold sobbed, snuggling into his embrace.

"Now's not the moment, my sweet."

"I won't see him again. I don't want to."

"We'll talk about it later, right now you should take a little nap."

Nodding, Marigold lay down and shifted on top of her bed, pulling Rattles close to her and letting Latoso curl up next to her. Xibalba pulled up her sheets to cover her, and stroked her head tenderly. She couldn't stop sobbing even if she wanted to; she felt like she was suffocating and her heart had shattered. Was this how her father felt when her mother died? Xibalba cooed at her like when she was a baby.

"Don't cry, _mi florecita_. Papi's here." He thought for a moment. "Remember when you were little and you had a nightmare, how I would sing you a lullaby?"

Marigold nodded.

"How about I sing you a bit? Who knows? It might help."

She thought for a moment, before nodding. Xibalba rested next to her and covered her with a wing before starting to sing.

_Do not cry_

_Do not fret_

_Though darkness may call_

_Do not forget_

_I am here_

_I will stay_

_Though storms may come_

_I'll be there for you._

Marigold snuggled against her father as her eyelids became heavy and she fell asleep. Xibalba planted a kiss on her head and stroked her cheek lovingly; he had suffered greatly when he cheated on this wager, it pained him in the very depths of his being, but it was for her own good. Someday she'd understand it.

But then, why didn't the feeling of guilt go away?


	11. Emptiness

Chapter 11- Emptiness

Joaquín found Juan Carlos under the Proposal Tree, completely in shock, and Marigold nowhere to be seen. He immediately took him back to his house, where María received them both with a warm blanket and hot chocolate. However, Juan Carlos wouldn't say anything, he was in an almost catatonic state. It was almost like he had seen a ghost or something.

"_Mijo_, what happened?!" Manolo asked him, but Juan Carlos was frozen in shock.

"Juan Carlos, are you okay?!" María was shaking him by the shoulder gently, but it didn't work either.

"Let him calm down, then he'll tell us what happened." Joaquín suggested, taking a sip from his cup of chocolate.

Cristina climbed unto the couch and approached her older brother. "Where's Marigold, Juan Carlos?"

When she spoke Marigold's name, it broke him out of the initial trance. "M-Marigold…"

"What happened to her, Juan Carlos?" Manolo asked him, calmly this time.

"I was waiting for her, then a red haired girl came… she kissed me, and Marigold saw us together… I went after her, I tried to explain, but she was so hurt… and then her father arrived and turned into a dark creature, and she..." he couldn't continue, for he started to tremble in remembrance.

"A dark creature?" Manolo and María asked at the same time.

"Could you describe that creature…?" Joaquín placed a hand on his godson's shoulder; he had an idea to who he was talking about.

"He was a black skeleton with dark wings and cloak, and a white moustache and beard. His eyes were red and shaped like skulls." Juan Carlos barely managed to speak about the dark god at all.

The adults remained in silent shock for a minutes, before María looked at her daughter. "Cristy, would you go to your room for a while?"

Cristina looked at her mother in confusion. "Why, mami? What's wrong?"

"We're going to talk about grown-up stuff. It won't be long, only a few minutes."

She didn't understand what was so serious about this, but at the word 'grown-up stuff' she instantly knew it wasn't something pleasant. Without saying a word, Cristina walked up the stairs to her room and closed the door.

"You saw Xibalba?" Joaquín glanced at the young _guitarrista_ with his only eye.

"Who?" Juan Carlos inquired.

"_Mijo_, remember the story I used to tell you when you were little?" Manolo continued. "The one about how your mother and I got together?"

Juan Carlos's eyes widened. "_That_ Xibalba? He _is_ real?"

"I'm not happy to say that he is." Joaquín muttered under his breath.

"Why would he take Marigold away? What interest would he have in a girl like her?" María stated.

"Mamá, I think they're related."

"What?" Manolo grabbed his son's shoulders. "Are you certain?"

"After he transformed, she also changed shape, but she looked more like a white skinned teenager with black wings and his same eyes."

"Could it be…?" María started connecting the dots. "Could she be his _daughter_ for real?"

"Well, the other option would be siblings, but I find the first one more logical." Joaquín stated before turning to Juan Carlos. "Juan, didn't he hurt you? Are you okay?"

"No, no! I'm lucky, but…" Juan Carlos felt a deep sorrow overcome him. "Marigold… I couldn't explain to her what had happened… she was so hurt…"

"This red-haired girl, what did she do?"

"She just came out of nowhere, tumbling, and I went to help her. I don't recall what happened exactly, but I can recall she kissed me, and Marigold saw it."

"This is very strange… Like this girl did that on purpose so that Marigold would catch you…" Manolo concluded.

Still, none of them could believe it. Marigold, that beautiful and sweet girl was Xibalba's daughter. Judging by Juan Carlos's description, she looked more like La Muerte, but… how much had she gotten from her father? The storm outside continued, reflecting not only the dread silence in the house, but also the storm of emotions in Juan Carlos's broken heart.

* * *

_Marigold was hidden under the bed in one of Aztlan's many guest rooms, sobbing into a borrowed pillow. She was hugging unto Rattle's remains, he had been torn in half mercilessly. Her hair was all undone, there were scrapes on her knees and arms, and her dress was all dirty._

_"__Marigold?" Xibalba came into the room and found his daughter nowhere to be seen, but he soon realized the sobbing was coming from under the bed. He knelt down so that he could take a peek underneath. "Sweetie, are you okay?"_

_As soon as she heard her father's voice, the five year old instantly teleported in a blur of rose petals towards him, materializing close enough so she could throw herself at him and wrap her arms around his waist, wailing. "Papi!" she sobbed. _

_Xibalba pulled his daughter closer, stroking her head in comfort. "Shhh. It's okay, __**mi florecita**__." He tugged at Rattles, and Marigold allowed him to take it. "Don't worry, we can fix Rattles. But tell me, what happened?"_

_Marigold buried her face into his chest. "Cabrakan, the rock boy, remember him?"_

_"__Yes, he is the son of Chimalmat and Vucub."_

_"__He called me ugly. I was playing with Rattles, and he came with Camazotl and Oxomo. They started making fun of me because of my wings, and then they took Rattles. The other children didn't help me, they just kept watching. Some of them even laughed at me!"_

_Xibalba was at a loss for anything to say. Looking at it, it seemed inevitable that most people would not like his daughter because she was precisely that, __**his**__ child. He was not that popular either when he was her age. In his case because the other godchildren found him scary, and they were afraid of his father; La Muerte had been the only one who saw past his grim looks, and they became the best of friends. But unfortunately, it seemed his little Marigold wasn't having the same luck as him._

_"__Why are boys so mean?" Marigold sobbed as more tears fell._

_"__Because they're idiots and they aren't worthy of you." Xibalba said, stroking Marigold's cheek with his thumb. "Sweetie, believe me, someday you'll find someone who appreciates you for the sweet, brave, kind little goddess you are. Who values you for who you are, not because you're beautiful or not."_

_"__I don't want anything to do with other godchildren anymore!" Marigold growled. "Who needs them anyway? I've got you, and Tío Zipacna, and the Sánchez and my friends in the Land of the Remembered. That's all I need."_

_Xibalba gave a small smile. "I think you may change your mind about that one day."_

_"__No I won't! I'm never going to need anyone else, ever!"_

The next day, Xibalba opened the doors to the Dining Hall, but he didn't find Marigold there; she usually was the first to come down and she'd make him a surprise breakfast, but today it wouldn't be the case. Either he had come down too early, or she was just getting ready. He was about to go and wait for her outside when Emilio walked into the Dining Hall, a worried expression on his face.

"Emilio, have you seen Marigold?" the dark god asked, looking down at him.

"I'm returning from her room, in fact, My Lord." The lizard replied. "She said she wasn't hungry and she seemed so sad that I let her be."

Xibalba grew worried at those words; instantly, he teleported to her doors, and knocked gently. "Marigold?" When he heard no reply, he turned the knob and walked inside. The curtains were closed, and the young goddess was still in bed, hiding from the world underneath her covers. Xibalba felt a small pang of sadness as he approached her bed. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" Marigold sobbed, retreating further into her sheets.

"Sweetie, you can't stay in bed all day. It's not healthy."

"I don't care. I don't feel like going anywhere right now."

"But you have to eat something at least, my dear." Xibalba spoke, gently caressing her head. "How about I bring you something tasty?"

"I'm not hungry, papá, really…"

"Come on, Marigold, you won't have any dessert if you don't eat." He chimed playfully, patting her shoulder.

Marigold would have laughed were the circumstances different, but she was too sad. "Well, I think it'll be okay."

"Good! I'll tell the chef to make something special for you, you just wait here!" And with that, he vanished in a blur of tar.

Marigold sighed and plopped unto her bed once more, pulling Rattles and Latoso closer to her. Latoso whined and cuddled next to her, resting his head on her shoulder. She looked down sadly at her pup and petted his head softly; she may be disappointed at Juan Carlos, but this didn't mean she had to take it out on the poor puppy she had come to adore. She recalled all the moments she and Juan Carlos shared, the laughter, their kiss, but over all the love… Had it all been a lie? Had her father being right when he told her she just had a temporary crush on the human? Had Juan Carlos just been toying with her?

After a while, Xibalba was back carrying a tray, with a bowl of warm soup. He sat down at the edge of bed and place the tray on his daughter's lap. "Here, I asked them to make your favorite soup."

Marigold shifted under the covers and tray to take a look at the bowl; she was surprised to realize it was a letter soup, the one she liked when she was little. There were some letters at the surface accommodated, forming a phrase.

_Te quiero, mi florecita. _

"Ay, papá…" Marigold embraced her father, her eyes tearing up as she sobbed into his chest.

"Shhh. It's okay, my dear, papi's here. Papi's got you." Xibalba embraced his daughter and wrapped his wings around her body, kissing her head. "Don't cry, _mi niña_."

"It hurts so much…"

"It's normal, sweetie. In a few days you'll be just fine, believe me."

"Thank you."

Xibalba glanced down at the bowl of soup; he smiled a bit in remembrance. "Remember the '_hola'_ soup?"

"Huh?" Marigold looked up at her father in confusion.

"Don't tell me you don't recall! When you were little you'd spell words in the soup, like '_hola_, papi' or 'marigold'."

"or '_perrito'_."

"Yeah, exactly! On one occasion you spelled '_adiosito'_."

"Or _papá_.·

"Or '_te quiero'_."

Marigold lay down back on bed, her wings shifting underneath her weight. Xibalba took a spoonful of the soup and lowered it to his daughter's lips. "Open wide, _chiquita_!" he chimed playfully.

The young goddess would have laughed, but once more her broken heart was stronger; still, she didn't have the heart to reject the soup and so she allowed her father to fuss over her. After a while, the bowl was empty, and her tummy was full as her father would say when she was a baby. Xibalba picked a napkin and wiped Marigold's lips gently.

"Feeling better?" he inquired.

"I think so…" Marigold replied, hugging her knees.

"Sweetie, I have been thinking… How about we go for a ride? It's been a while since we went somewhere to spend the day, just you and me."

"I'm don't feel like going outside, papá…" Marigold shifted back to bed, wrapping her wings about her body.

"Then how about…" he looked around her room, until he spotted her painting kit. "painting? I could help you, like that time when we ended up in a paint war, remember?"

"No, thanks…"

Somehow, her sorrowful air made him feel sad too. He wanted to hug her and tell her it was going to be alright, but how could he do that when he was the one who caused her this pain to begin with. He quickly shook that thought aside, he had done it for her sake, he was certain that in a few days she would be fine. For now, he would try and cheer her up in any way he could.

"I understand, my sweet. It's okay if you don't feel like doing anything, it's normal for broken hearts."

"Did you ever have your heart broken, papá?" Marigold asked weakly, hugging her knees.

He was at loss at that question. "Sort of. There was a time when your mother and I grew estranged due to a misunderstanding that happened. The time we spent away from each other I felt empty, I loved her so much…"

"How did you get over it?"

"I never really did. Those centuries still haunt me even today, I missed her… But what kept me sane was the hope of someday reconciling with her…"

"What can _I_ do? I don't think I'll ever love again…"

"Don't say that, my sweet. There are plenty of eligible gods out there, you're so young…"

"How do you know they won't end up toying with me too? I think you forgot most of them picked on me, what makes you think they are not going to hang around me just because they want to seduce me for one night before tossing me aside for another-?"

"Marigold!" Xibalba took his daughter by the shoulders firmly. "Please, don't do that! Don't doubt of your self worth just because you had a bad experience!" his look softened. "You're beautiful, that's true, but you're also a smart, kind, sweet and brave young lady. Any man would give anything to be by your side. I'm certain the right man for you is out there somewhere, you just have to learn where to look." He smiled at her as he wiped a tear rolling down her cheek. "Please don't cry. You look prettier when you smile, _mi florecita_."

It took her a great effort, but Marigold managed to give her father a small smile, the smallest she could muster at the moment, before embracing her father once more, burying her face into his neck. Xibalba embraced her and wrapped his wings around her to comfort her. He felt Ponzoña's two pair of eyes unto him, and noted the snake was staring at him from the floor with disappointed eyes. The dark god wanted to usher him away, but suddenly the voice returned.

**See how she's suffering? You caused it.**

_"__I just did what was best for her._" he thought to himself in an attempt to silence it. IT didn't work.

**You wanted to keep her for yourself, because you can't stand her being near other men. You're a selfish being.**

"_That boy was going to cause her trouble._"

**What about you? You caused her a great pain, and you claim to love her?**

"Papá?"

Xibalba was brought out from his conscience conflict when he heard Marigold's voice. "What is it?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm just stressed out… Are you sure you don't need anything?"

"I just… I just want to be alone for now, if you don't mind…"

"I understand, my sweet. Don't forget, if you need anything, you just call for me or any of the servants, okay?"

"Okay…"

After planting another kiss on her forehead, Xibalba stood up from bed and glided out of her room, Ponzoña following after him. However, when the dark god closed the door, he felt his snake's reproaching eyes once more. "What?!" he hissed down at the snake though in a low voice so that Marigold wouldn't hear him. "I'm not happy with what I did, but I just…" no, he didn't have to repeat it any further. Ponzoña shook both heads and slithered away from his master into the dark halls. Xibalba shook his head with a sigh and went back to the Dining Hall, recalling he hadn't had breakfast just yet.

And he had to center his thoughts on something else to ignore the damn voice.

* * *

**A week later**

* * *

Many things happened in seven days.

For both Juan Carlos and Marigold, it was a time of sorrow, emptiness and heartbreak. Juan Carlos spent all the time in his room, playing sad songs with his guitar and barely going out, if he did at all. His parents, sister, and Joaquín would try to convince him to hang out a bit, but he was too sad. General Posada unintentionally added insult to injury when he told his grandson that there were many more girls, prettier than Marigold, but to Juan Carlos she was the only one. Manolo, in particular, thought maybe it was best that they were no longer together, in part because of his part experiences with Xibalba.

But the dark god had his own problems. All this time, the damn voice haunted him and just wouldn't go away. At first it was only occasional, but the more he saw his daughter gloomy and sad, it became almost constant, to the point it wouldn't let him sleep peacefully at night. It hurt him, seeing his beloved daughter so sad; he missed her laughter and her smile. No matter what he did to cheer her up, she didn't want to do anything other than stay in bed and cry. He didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to regret what he had done.

Marigold tried to overcome her sorrow, but she just couldn't, something didn't let her. Her heart was torn in shredded pieces like a piece of cloth clawed by a cat, she didn't have the mood nor the energy to do or go anywhere, she didn't even eat at all. How she was doing it without food, she couldn't tell, maybe it had something to do with her emotional condition. Her father had already tried various times to coax her to come out, but she was too sad; deep down she missed Juan Carlos, even though he had just toyed with her.

The still-single gods were glad when they heard the rumor that she had cut off with her previous 'boyfriend', and resumed their (failed) courting of her. They sent bouquets of exotic flowers, love letters, exquisite jewels or dresses and some even went as far as to send her songs with birds such as nightingales and canaries. This time, however, Xibalba didn't have any problem with them and actually hoped that perhaps Marigold would get interested in any of these young suitors. But she didn't even want to look at them, considering most of these suitors were her former tormentors from her childhood; it would take them more than a few trinkets and flowers to get her to even forgive them. She never thought she was so spiteful…

Coincidentally, a letter that arrived from Aztlan would give this story yet another twist.

Despite his exhaustion, Xibalba knocked the door to his daughter's room with one hand, holding a box in the other. "Marigold, sweetie, can I come in?"

She simply whined her approval. Still, Xibalba walked into the room and closer to her bed, avoiding the trays of food, cold and untouched. Marigold was sitting on bed, looking towards the window, her wings wrapped around her body. She didn't even look at her father at all.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Xibalba inquired, hiding the box behind his back.

"More or less better, papá…" Marigold replied gently, sniffling.

His face brightened. "I got you a present, _mi florecita_!"

"What is it, papá?"

The dark god brought the box forward and placed it in front of her. "Here. Open it."

Although not really in the mood, Marigold removed the lid of the box, and her eyes widened slightly. It was a beautiful dress; it was a light-weight two piece gown consisting of a sleeveless bodice and skirt. The bodice featured gold rope lacing in the front and hidden elastic in the back for an improved fit. The full skirt featured a false underskirt of gold brocade in front as well.

"It's pretty…" she said glumly. "But what's it for?"

"Tláloc invited us to the _quinceañera_ of his seventh daughter, you need to look lovely, my sweet."

"Have you even asked me if I want to go?"

"Come on, Marigold, it's already been a week. You need to go out a bit, it'll help heal your wound."

"What? Seeing lots of couples dancing will make me feel better?"

"By the way, my dear, guess what?"

"What?"

Xibalba glanced at her door, and Emilio walked in holding a golden birdcage with a pink ribbon. Inside the birdcage was a beautiful nightingale of bronze colors, singing a beautiful song that would have made any woman cry. Marigold stared at it with little interest, however.

"Centeotl sent it for you, isn't it beautiful?"

"Aja." Marigold looked away.

Seeing she was not interested in it at all, Xibalba sighed and held her hand. "Sweetie, please. Could you at least accompany me, only for a while?"

Marigold thought for a moment. Her father was right in one thing, she had been just coping around in her room miserably. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to hang out a bit, it was a long time ever since se went to a party. Her mother would have wanted her to move on.

"…Okay…"


	12. A New Suitor

_When a couple of gods had a child, it was customary to take them to Aztlan when the babies were a few days old so that the other gods could meet the child. In Xibalba's case, due to his emotional turmoil during the first two weeks after Marigold's birth he couldn't take her in the traditional time. He took her to Aztlan when she was one month old._

_Marigold wiggled around in her baby basket, sobbing uncomfortably at having too many strangers looking down at her. Xibalba cooed at his baby as he held her tiny hand, her tiny digits gripping on his finger as she continued to protest. Most of the Goddesses were fawning over the little one and commenting on how much resemblance she had to La Muerte, but the Gods were more wary and opted not to mention the dark god's late wife too much. _

_Most of the godchildren wondered why the adults made such a fuss for a stinky and noisy baby, but a few of them were fascinated by the tiny child, though their parents wouldn't let them interact much with her because she was too young and her defenses were still developing. That, and Xibalba didn't want any children near his baby just yet, thinking they would frighten her. _

_That night, one of the children turned into a bat and snuck into the room where Xibalba and his daughter were staying. Xibalba had left the basket where his daughter was sleeping on one side of the large bed; the little one was bundled up in pink blankets, suckling her pacifier as she slept peacefully. The dark god himself was already deep asleep, resting next to the basket and his large hand on top of his daughter's little body. _

_When he was certain Xibalba was fast asleep, the boy flew down to the side of the bed and changed back to his true shape. He was a three year old bat-like boy, with large ears and small naked wings. He hadn't been able to see the baby since the adults didn't let any children go near her, but he had a curiosity about how she looked like; his older brother stated she was nothing more than a dirty bundle of diapers, but now that he saw her he realized she was nothing like his brother had said; she was actually very cute. _

_The bat boy kept staring at her for a while, containing his urge to touch her, when suddenly her eyelids started sliding open, and soon she realized there was yet another stranger staring down at her. Unfortunately, she found the bat boy frightening, and soon her little face crunched up as she started to cry. The boy panicked when Lord Xibalba started to stir awake, and quickly turned into a bat and flew towards the ceiling to perch until he went to sleep again. He watched as Xibalba shifted and sat up in bed to check on his daughter._

_"__Sh-sh-sh," Xibalba cooed as he gingerly picked his daughter up from the basket and bounced her in his arms. "What's wrong, __**mi florecita**__?"_

_As Marigold continued to cry, the boy quickly flew away when he was certain Xibalba was distracted._

* * *

That night, Aztlan was decorated in the manner of a party, with decorations of _papel picado_, most of them of lavender and pink colors, along with balloons and flower decorations on walls and along the floor, as well as a red carpet that led into the ballroom. Most of the Old Gods were already there, either serving themselves from the buffet table, or chattering amongst themselves with glasses of champagne or wine, depending on each god's taste.

Xibalba was waiting for Marigold at the main entrance, she told him to go ahead and she'd catch up to him when she was done dressing up. He hoped that one of the still-single gods in there(those her age or only slightly older, at least, there was no way he was handing her over to someone who has hundreds o years older than her) would catch her eye. She wouldn't give them a chance because she hadn't interacted with them as mature adults, she still thought of them as the immature and annoying boys they used to be; but he was certain (or rather hoped) than once she saw for herself they had truly changed, she'd give them a chance.

There was a swirl of energy behind him, and when he turned around he nearly gaped in surprise and wonder. Marigold looked beautiful in that dress, and her long hair was fixed into a silky curl style, with most of her hair sweeped to one side al loose and flowy, with a three-inch section just above her ear rolled upward into a twist. A few flowers were adorning her hair, and there was a rose brooch clipped to the other side of her hair. Her mother's pendant made her look even more beautiful, it made him recall of that time when he and La Muerte were in their teens, and came to a ball. After days of seeing her coping around in her bed, this sudden change in her gave him a bit of relief.

Marigold approached her father with her wings tucked close to her body. "How do I look?" she inquired shyly.

"You look beautiful, _mi floreci_ta…" Xibalba smiled, lifting her chin with his fingers. "There's not a single girl in that hall that can hold a candle to you…"

She couldn't help but blush a bit, she knew he thought so because he was her father. "Only for a while, okay?"

"Only for a while, my dear, I promise." The dark god held out his hand for his daughter, smiling. "_Señorita_."

This time, Marigold couldn't help but smile a bit as she grabbed her father's hand and allowed him to guide her inside. The ballroom was boiling with life, but a few of the single gods stopped what they were doing when they realized she had arrived, and once more her beauty smote them. She was quick to grab unto her father's arm, like an indirect way of telling them she wasn't interested, especially when she recognized some of them. Just then, an unfortunately familiar rock-made young man approached them.

"Cabrakan." Xibalba glanced at him. "Nice to see you."

Cabrakan had grown to be an attractive young god, so handsome many of the single goddesses (Tlaloc's daughters, in particular) were smitten with him, all except the one he was interested in. "Why, _señorita_ Marigold, it's been a long time since I last saw you." He planted a kiss on the back of her hand.

"When you stuck chewing gum into my hair…" Marigold muttered under her breath, looking away as she slid her hand off his hold. Xibalba gently elbowed her.

"I do hope we can forget about any… displeasures I may have caused you in the past."

"Maybe…"

"Hey, _hermanito_!" Zipacna waved his hand from one of the many tables covered in white tablecloth with golden trimming. In the same table were the Candlemaker, Ehécatl, Xochiquétzal, Itzamna and… oh, no, not _him_. As her father excused them and led her to the table to take a seat, she realized her seat was next to _him_, which made her wonder if her father hadn't asked the Candlemaker or her uncle to save her seat right next to him. Wonderful, just wonderful.

Camazotl, the eldest of Camazotz's sons was as equally handsome as Cabrakan, maybe even more, it depended. He was bulky, with dark spiky hair with red strokes, as well as bat wings, ears and face. His skin was a toned down burned brown, with a blood red loincloth. In fact, he was known to be a Casanova that liked to flirt with young girls, but he had to admit Marigold was a real challenge. None of his gifts had won any terrain with her, but he wouldn't give up so easily on her. In fact, he could tell she was not very comfortable to be seated next to him; he decided to give a good impression to her, standing up from his seat when the two death gods approached.

"Lord Xibalba." He bowed politely to greet the dark god, before his snake eyes turned to Marigold. "_Señorita_ Marigold." Like Cabrakan, Camazotl kissed the back of her hand.

"_Hola_, Camazotl." Xibalba replied. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Father decided to give me a little break, and allowed me to come over." Noting Marigold was not paying him any attention, he tried to think of something to say. "Why, Marigold, you have changed quite a lot…"

Marigold stared at him emotionlessly. "Not much, I'm still that same ugly duck that liked to hang around dolls."

"Marigold." Xibalba reproached her mildly.

"No, no, it's okay, My Lord. I do admit, my behavior during those years was unacceptable." Camazotl was staring tenderly at the young goddess. "That ugly duck has grown into a beautiful swan, and I'd like to make up for my behavior."

Marigold couldn't tell if his words were sincere or not, but for the moment chose to keep her mask of indifference. Right now all she wanted was to get this over with so she could return home.

When they were about to get a seat, Camazotl pushed back the chair for Marigold to sit. "Allow me."

She tucked her wings close to her body as she sat down. "_Gracias_." She simply said, sitting down, shivering internally in discomfort when he sat a little too close to her.

"You look beautiful, honey!" Xochiquétzal chirped upon seeing Marigold's dress, proud of her work. "I knew that dress would be perfect for you!"

"Thank you…" Marigold smiled at her. At least she was not trying to win her over with sweet-talking.

"I bet when Tlaloc's daughter sees you she's going to fume with envy." Zipacna chuckled, resting his legs over the table.

"You do realize that's where they're going to serve the food, don't you?" Xibalba crossed his arms at his brother while giving him an annoyed look.

"Don't worry, I washed my feet."

"Well, doesn't smell like it." The Candlemaker commented, already pinching his nose.

"Zipacna, would you get your feet off the table! We wouldn't like to see your calluses before dinner!" Ehécatl cried out, looking away with a disgusted expression. "Besides, if Tláloc sees it-"

Just then, trumpets resounded in the ballroom.

"Speak of the devil…" Zipacna muttered, lowering his feet beneath the table once more.

Marigold glanced back at the doors where Tláloc and his seventh daughter, Laguna, emerged; she used a beautiful aqua blue dress adorned with jewelry, including her hair adorned with water lilies. Yup, if any of the single gods had to choose between Laguna and Marigold, they'd definitely choose Marigold, not only for looks but also because at least Marigold didn't throw fits when she didn't get what she wanted. A few minutes later, after everyone was seated, Tláloc stood up from his chair with his glass of champagne; the whole room went silent.

"For my dearest Laguna, now that she's passing from childhood to womanhood." He lifted his glass.

Soon, all the present guests lifted their glasses, Marigold included. "To Laguna."

Just then, the music started. Xibalba decided to take a little advantage of the relaxing air to try and coax Marigold into opening up a bit. Curiously, a comment made by Zipacna gave him the chance. "Say, Camazotl, has your eye caught any lovely girl?"

"Not really, I'm not the type to go around and break hearts like twigs, Lord Zipacna, no offense."

Zipacna wanted to stab him with the knife, but he simply tightened his grip on the utensil, nearly bending it. "None taken." He said through grit teeth, forcing a smile.

"Well, dear boy, Marigold hasn't had much to do these days. I think you should really mend fences with each other, and who knows, maybe you can become 'acquainted'." Xibalba chuckled, gently elbowing his daughter. "Eh, Marigold?"

How she wanted to kill him. "Papá!"

"What?"

Rolling her eyes and letting out a groan of frustration, Marigold glanced back at Camazotl nervously. "Ah, my father. Don't mind that, it's… nice to see you." She practically forced those words to leave her mouth.

"I'm glad to see you too, you surely have changed quite a lot." Camazotl's eyes were examining her exquisite curves. "But do tell me, I have heard you are very fond of a certain place in the human realm. San Ángel, am I right?"

"Oh, yeah!" out of suddenly, her mood changed from irritated to excited. "It's an amazing place, the people are very friendly and kind, everyone knows everyone and they have a way to see life that changes you forever."

"So, you are fond of humans?"

"They are fascinating. They can surprise you if you give them a chance." Marigold noted Camazotl had no positive interest in humans at all.

"Yeah, when they are not killing each other for power, or stabbing each other in the back. I'm grateful we don't have to interact much with them any longer."

Thinking for a moment, Marigold chose to test the waters. "Really?" she feigned interest, using her 'feminine charm' and supporting her chin on her hands.

Camazotl fell for it. "Of course, I mean, look at us, and look at them. There's a big difference, we are much more superior, they only serve as food to my father's bats."

Xibalba felt a twinge of hope when he noted how Marigold's attitude with Camazotl was warming up, though Zipacna, the Candlemaker and Xochiquétzal were confused by her reaction to the bat god's comments about humans.

"Sure…" with a flirting grin, the young goddess ran her fingers up Camazotl's muscular arm seductively. "And what a better way to toy with them than to wager with their pathetic lives? After all, there are so many humans that they won't mind if we take one life away, don't you think?"

Camazotl was smitten with her touch, thinking he was truly catching her interest. "Yeah, that's what I mean. It's like playing chess, only with pieces that move by themselves and save the players the bother to do so."

That's when she dropped her mask, crossing her arms and frowning. "Seriously?"

Xibalba sighed in dismay and smacked his forehead. "So close…" he muttered.

"Is that how you see humans?" Marigold growled at him with a hard stare. "They only exist as entertainment for the gods?"

Adding insult to injury, most of the other gods raised their cups and grinned, agreeing with Camazotl, Zipacna included, before Ehécatl elbowed him hard. Camazotl became nervous. "Uh, well, I…"

"If you'll excuse me…" Marigold threw her napkin on the table and stood up. "I'm going to take some fresh air. Being in here is suffocating," she glared at Camazotl and punched at the table when she said the word _suffocating_, before walking for the doors of the balcony. "_Buenas noches_."

As she left, Tepoztecatl, one of the rabbit-headed gods of wine, approached the bewildered Camazotl with a mocking grin. "Well, well, seems like you're out of the competition, Camy. Don't worry, I'll invite you to the wedding-" He couldn't continue, since Camazotl's punch came into contact with his jaw and sent hi straight to the floor.

Xibalba sighed and took his hand to his temples. This would be harder than he originally thought.

* * *

The light full moon was filtering through his window, illuminating part of his room, but even though it usually had a soothing effect on him, today it made him nostalgic. It reminded him of his first kiss with Marigold, and that made him think of what had happened. He missed her very much, and he wanted to see her again, but he didn't even know where Xibalba had taken her, probably to his realm, the Land of the Forgotten. He spent his time playing sad songs in his guitar, and he didn't want to go out.

There was a knock at his door. "Juan Carlos?"

"Come in." Juan Carlos replied sadly, shifting on bed.

Manolo entered his son's room and found him still resting, his hair undone and his Sánchez curl nearly drooping down. "Your mother says dinner is ready."

"I'm not hungry, papá."

"Mijo, I know you and Marigold were very happy together, you made a nice couple, but…" Manolo sat down at the edge of bed. "Maybe what happened was the best for everyone."

"How can you say that, papá?" Juan Carlos frowned. "Marigold would never harm anyone, she's a great girl!"

"I don't doubt that. It's her father I'm talking about." The _guitarrista_ didn't like talking about Xibalba at all. "Remember the story?"

"He sent a snake to kill mamá, but it turned out to be a trick so that you would allow his snake to kill you, and she'd marry _tío_ Joaquín so he could win his wager with La Muerte."

"He's capable of _anything_ to get what he wants, no matter who he hurts. And judging by what Marigold said of her mother…"

Manolo didn't want to imagine La Muerte, that kind, benevolent and beloved goddess that helped him during his adventure in the Land of the Dead, dead. What had happened to her? Had she actually died at childbirth like Marigold had indirectly said? Could gods die like that?

"I know, he was already quite hostile before we even knew their true identities. But I don't care if I have to face that old skeleton, I'd do anything to see Marigold again!"

"Juan Carlos, you don't know Xibalba! He's cruel, a trickster, if he wanted to he could turn you to dust, or worse, he could try to hurt you by hurting your family! He's capable of harming your mother, Cristina, even me...!" he guessed Joaquín was safe from Xibalba's wrath, considering the dark god had chosen him as his champion.

"I'd find a way..." However, Juan Carlos wasn't certain of that anymore. His father did have a point, Xibalba did look like he didn't care about taking whoever's lives he wanted.

"I know its hard, but you're young, you have a whole life ahead of you. Maybe you will find someone else-"

"For goodness sake, papá, you're starting to sound like my grandpa."

"I'm sorry I have no other way to say it, but it would be best for everyone if you just forgot about Marigold. For you, for her. For our family, and hers. The only way you'd even get to see her again would be dying, and it'll be a long time before that happens, lots of things can change in that time. I wouldn't be surprised that her father is already planning on who she will be marrying as we speak."

That thought made Juan Carlos's stomach churn, but the previous commentary made by his father gave him an idea… a very ridiculous, dangerous and desperate idea.

"Just think about it, son." Manolo figured he wanted to be alone, and walked out of the room.

Once he was certain his father was out of earshot, Juan Carlos stepped out of bed and tiptoed to his window; luckily, under his window there were vines and loosened bricks which he could use to climb down; he'd often do this when he was a child to sneak out when he was grounded. Climbing down to the ground, Juan Carlos ran down the street and towards the bridge that led out of town. Looking around to make sure no one followed him, he ran across the bridge and toward the proposal tree. Being here made his stomach churn and his heart twist, recalling the pained look in Marigold's face as she looked down at him, then the shock of finding out who she really was.

Running a little farther, he came to a terrain known as _Monte Culebra_, known for being inhabited by rattlesnakes, and people in general avoided it. In his case, however, he wanted to _find_ one. He couldn't just live without Marigold, for incredible as it sounded, since they met just a month ago. He needed to talk to her, tell her that what had happened was just a misunderstanding, no matter if he had to go to Hell and back. As he looked around in the long grass, suddenly he heard the familiar rattling sound of the venomous vipers. Carefully listening where it was coming from, Juan Carlos advanced towards it, careful not to leave any corner unrevised.

A sharp pain flaring in his foreleg let him know that a snake had bitten him, but it didn't stop there. As he yelped in pain, suddenly he felt more bites coming from various directions, and the cold venom running down his veins. He collapsed to the ground, and managed to catch a glimpse of the rattlesnakes slithering away into their nests. Still, as he lay dying, he had a determined look on his face; if dying was the only way he'd see Marigold again, then he'd die, no matter the consequences. Still, the agony of his heartbeat coming to a stop and the venom killing his cells completely was nearly unbearable, until he felt everything a numbness compared to that of cold numbness.

"Here I come, Marigold…"

His eyes closed, as he felt himself being lifted.

* * *

Marigold muttered under her breath as she sat down in one of the white stone benches outside in the balcony gardens, overlooking all the valley. The moonlight gave an air of both calm and sadness that she couldn't get rid of, it reminded her of her first kiss with Jun Carlos. The young goddess shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking about him, and yet she couldn't help it. She wanted to go so badly to see him, but she had made a wager with her father and lost; she'd have to fulfill her end of the deal made between them, but she wasn't certain if she'd ever be able to marry with any of the other gods her father chose for her.

A fluttering sound from behind her startled her; Marigold looked back, but found no one. "Camazotl, if you're trying to startle me, it's not going to work!" she snapped, knowing that bat was quite fond of startling people, but she didn't find his jokes any funny at all.

From the darkness, a bat with golden yellow eyes was staring at her longingly and tenderly; maybe now was the perfect chance to finally talk to her. The bat flew from the branch of the nearby tree, and turned into a god similar to Camazotl, but much less thin and slim and his hair was silver with blue strands. Most of the other young gods thought him quite nerdy, especially because of the pair of wide glasses resting on his nose; much unlike his father and brother.

Marigold was surprised at the new visitor, especially since she had never seen him before. "Who are you?"

"M-My name is C-Camazok, s-señorita…" the bat god replied, gulping and trying to sound as confident as he could with little results.

Camazok… "Are you somehow related to Camazotl?"

"I'm his younger brother, though he doesn't talk about me that much…"

In fact, not even his father mentioned him that much, both Camazotl and Camazotz considered him to be a disgrace to their family due to his 'weak' personality and his lack of bloodlust. Due to this neglect from his family, Camazok was rather shy, and as such he didn't interact that much with other gods. As a child, he felt attracted to Marigold, but he never had the courage to even talk to her, this was the first time she saw him.

"Nice to meet you." Marigold smiled at him. "Would you like to take a seat?"

"S-Seat?" Camazok shivered, his face all red. "T-Thank you." He sat down next to her in the bench, though he didn't sit too close to her to avoid make her feel uncomfortable.

"So you're Camazotl's brother…. Must be terrible."

"Sort of, I mean, he doesn't really get interested in what I do, neither does Father." He managed to speak without stuttering.

"Makes me feel glad I have no siblings like him…" Marigold crossed her arms and hugged herself with her wings. "But then again, sometimes I do wish I had at least a brother or sister."

"You looked quite upset when you arrived here…"

"Don't remind me! No offense, but Camazotl is such an idiot! How can he talk about humans like that when he doesn't even know them?!"

"I know, they're not that bad."

Marigold glanced at him in surprise. "You think so?"

"They're interesting, in a good way. Just look at how they've manage to survive for so many eons no matter what we send them…"

"Well, at least someone agrees with me on that matter, not even my father likes humans. He says I got it from my mother. Even after what happened a week ago, I still like them, not _all_ are bad."

"I guess it's one thing we have in common. We both like humans to some extent…" Camazok couldn't stop looking at Marigold, and her radiant beauty. Unlike the rest of her suitors, however, he wasn't after her good looks at all, he found her attractive but he wanted to spend some time with her. Just then, they heard footsteps behind them.

"Well, you finally appear."

Marigold rolled her eyes, while Camazok stiffened nervously. "H-Hey, brother." The bat god gulped.

Camazotl snapped his fangs. "Don't 'hey, brother' me! It's disgusting enough to know we're related to let everyone find out!" He realized Marigold was present. "Marigold, your father asked me to come tell you the dance is about to begin."

Marigold huffed. "Well, tell my father that I'm not in the mood for dancing, anyway."

"Come on, Marigold." With a seductive grin, Camazotl teleported to her other side of the bench and started running his finger down her shoulder. "I could show you some dances…" he whispered into her ear.

Marigold stood up and away from him, incensed. "No, thank you." She repeated, before glancing at Camazok. "Besides, Camazok has already asked me for a dance."

He blinked. "I did?" he realized what she was trying to do. "I mean, I did."

"Him?" Camazotl didn't buy it. "He can't talk to his own pants!"

"Maybe, but he's much more polite than you are!" Marigold abruptly teleported to Camazok's side and grabbed him by the arm, lifting him from the bench. "Now, if you'll excuse us…" she led Camazok away into the garden to continue their chat, ignoring Camazotl's incredulous (and resentful) stare.

Meanwhile, Xibalba had been watching the entire scene from the shadows with a grin of excitement. "_Sí_!"


	13. What Have You Done!

Chapter 13- What Have You Done?!

* * *

_As he gingerly swayed the rocking chair with his wings, Xibalba cooed at his daughter and rocked her back and forth in his arms everytime she shifted, lulling her back to sleep. His little Marigold let out coos and gurgles as she slept, suckling on her pacifier and resting her little head on his chest, soothed by his heartbeat. It had been three days since Víbora's 'visit', and he had been quite 'paranoid', as Zipacna called it. He casted a protective spell around Marigold's cradle, but he'd still often stay awake all night holding her close, he wanted to make sure nothing would happen to her. _

_Marigold giggled in her sleep, Xibalba smiled too, stroking her cheek tenderly with his finger. She was so lovely, so pretty... He was certain she'd be the most beautiful girl in the whole universe. He never thought he could create life, and one such as pretty as this. She was so lovely…to think that this tiny and helpless child was made from the love he and his Muertita shared. Suddenly Marigold's little face crunched up and she sobbed, wiggling in her blanket. _

_"__Shh-sh-sh." Xibalba cooed at her, bouncing her in his arms. Maybe she wanted to be left alone for a little while, he hadn't left her for the past three days. Carefully, the dark god stood up from the rocking chair and walked towards the cradle to gently tuck her in, tickling her nose to make her laugh a bit. Marigold opened her eyes slightly and looked up at her father questioningly, grabbing unto his finger. "Shhh, it's okay, __**mi florecita**__. Papi will be close… I'm not letting anything happen to you, my sweet." Xibalba turned the wind-up key on the side of the mobile, and it started to turn while playing a song. _

_Marigold looked at the moving carousel of little animal plushies above her little head, recognizing the song; it was the lullaby La Muerte would hum to her when she was pregnant. Xibalba had noticed she remembered and liked that song, so he commissioned her mobile to play it. Marigold giggled and gurgled as she reached out her tiny hands for the plushies of the mobile. Xibalba smiled and stroked his daughter's head, watching as she let out a yawn and fell asleep, lulled by the lullaby._

* * *

When Juan Carlos next opened his eyes, he knew he was no longer in San Ángel. Standing up with a groan, he looked down at his hands and realized they were skeletal and white with a few dark swirls. Had it worked? He immediately jumped to his feet and took a look at his surroundings; he nearly gaped as he took everything in.

The Land of the Remembered was just like his father had described it in his stories. Everything was made of bright and attractive colors, the buildings had different size and shapes with smiles, and rivers of colorful confetti were flowing across the dark sky, as well as _papel picado_ raining down. The _calacas_ of the deceased people were dancing around, others went with their daily lives like in life, only with no pain nor sorrow; everyone was happy. No wonder his father spoke fondly of it.

"Welcome to the Land of the Remembered!" suddenly a mustached man on a horse approached him with a friendly expression. "Don't try to take it all at once." He looked down at a clipboard and took the feather from his hat. "What is your name, a_migo_?"

"Juan Carlos Sánchez," Juan Carlos replied. "But I'm looking for Marigold."

"Another Sánchez? Man, this is becoming a custom. Marigold, you say…" he started looking in his clipboard for the name. "No, she's not in the-"

"Nono, she's not a spirit. She's the daughter of… Lord Xibalba."

"Ahh, you mean Princess Marigold? Right now I don't know where she is, but she's pretty close with your family. Maybe they can help you." He helped Juan Carlos up into the horse. "Now hang on tight! It's going to be the heck of a ride!"

Juan Carlos nearly had a heart attack when the horse galloped down a path that was like a rolling coaster, in a very vertical incline. Still, he managed to speak loud enough so the captain could hear him. "Please, do not tell Lord Xibalba about me!"

"I have to, it's my job! If I don't give him accurate reports on the people who arrive everyday he gets _really_ mad." The _calaca_ gulped in remembrance at the last time it happened.

"Please, he can't know it! He kind of has it against me because Princess Marigold and I dated."

"Oh my gosh! You actually went out on a date with her?" the captain laughed. "That's a great accomplishment. Lord Xibalba doesn't let any boys near her."

"Yeah, I noticed…"

"Here we are!"

The horse stopped in front of a great hacienda-looking building, decorated with carvings and statues of bulls, like all other buildings it was beautifully colored in all sort of bright colors. A great ivory staircase led to great heart-shaped doors. "This is your family's hacienda, they must be inside." Juan Carlos dismounted and gazed at the beautiful building with awe. "If you need me, you know where to find me."

With this, the captain galloped away. Juan Carlos tentatively climbed up the stairs towards the family home, and stopped just in front of the doors. All his ancestors were probably gathered in here, including his grandparents; gathering his courage, he pushed through the doors.

The Sánchez family instantly reacted when the doors to their hacienda opened and someone entered; they left what they were doing and immediately went to greet the newest addition with a feeling of dread, fearing Manolo had died once more, but their shock intensified when they found the person that had come down was not Manolo…

Juan Carlos was amazed to find his deceased grandparents a few steps in front of him, they looked just like in the pictures his father had in the album.

"_Abuelo_?" he whispered. "_Abuela_?"

"Juan Carlos!" Carmen was the first to reach, embracing her grandson. "But… what?"

"_Por mis bigotes_!" Luis pushed his way through the other family members. "This is my _bisnieto_!" When Carmen pulled away he, Carmelo and Jorge rushed forward to meet Manolo's descendant.

"Look at him! Just like his father!" Carmelo's large hand was soon ruffling Juan Carlos's Sánchez curl with a hearty laugh.

"I wouldn't be surprised that he got his father's courage as well." Jorge patted the _guitarrista's_ shoulder.

"And he's continuing the family tradition!" Carlos laughed, taking his grandson's shoulders with a grin. "Marigold told us how you stopped that bull by the horns! We're so proud of you!"

"I think what we should be asking is how he got here." Carmen stated matter-of-factly. "Juan, what happened to you?"

"Did the tar face do something to you?" Scardelita growled.

Adelita unsheathed her sword. "If he did, we'll give him a knuckle sandwich."

"N-No! I…" Juan Carlos temporally stepped away from his family to take a breath. "It's a long story, I need to speak to Marigold."

"_La niña_ Marigold?" Luis inquired. "We have not seen her for days."

"She spoke dearly about you, by the way." Carlos patted Juan Carlos's shoulder. "I can't believe you two got hooked up!"

Juan Carlos would have blushed, but his skin was white now. "But you don't know where she is?"

"I asked Xibalba about it, but he only told me you did something to her…" Carmen said. "But I know you didn't want to hurt her."

"I need to explain to her...! What she saw…!" he groaned. "Some sort of girl came out of nowhere and kissed me in front of her! She didn't let me explain, and Xibalba… he…"

"Sounds strange…" Carlos stated. "I don't know Xibalba that much, but I do know he's quite the cheater…"

"You imply he had something to do with that?"

"Knowing that son-of-a-leprous-donkey, he certainly did!" Luis exclaimed.

"We'd have to dig a little deeper…" Jorge added

Carmelo held out a shovel. "In the garden?" the conquistador simply rolled his eyes.

"Well, this is the situation. If Xibalba finds I'm here, he's going to kill me… or turn me to dust, I don't even know!" Juan Carlos shivered at the thought.

"How did you die in the first place?" Carmen insisted. "Did you get ill? Was there a bandit raid?"

"Yeah, what happened, _primo_?" Scardelita and Adelita crossed their arms.

"Well…" Juan Carlos chuckled nervously. "Well, I was so desperate in seeing Marigold… Papá said the only way I could possibly do so was by dying… So I…" he gulped. "Walked into _Monte Culebra_ and… Let a rattlesnake bite me…"

The yell that followed was so loud that it echoed through the Land of the Remembered.

* * *

Marigold and Camazok returned to the ballroom just in time for the waltz; there were already a few couples of gods, either old married pairs or young ones just dating. Xibalba managed to go back to his seat before she noticed, and realized she was still holding unto Camazok's arm.

"Say, Camazok, would you do me a little favor?" Marigold whispered to him.

"Huh? S-Sure, what is it?" Camazok replied gently.

"Would you take me to dance?"

"D-Dance? You were serious when you told that to my brother?"

"Please, just so that the others will stop pestering me around…!" Marigold glanced at her father. "And my father, for the matter."

"It's just… well, I've never danced before…"

"Don't worry, I'll teach you."

Camazok gulped as he led Marigold to the dance floor. Once there Marigold subtly told him what to do, he clasped her right hand in his left at shoulder's height, and his right hand was placed on her waist, while her left hand rested on his shoulder. As they danced, soon the rest of Marigold's suitors noticed she was dancing with Camazok, the geekiest god in the pantheon, and most of them were fuming with both jealously and ire. Xibalba was on the other side of the spectrum, however.

"Looks like Marigoldie's doing better today." The Candlemaker commented with a giggle.

"I think we're having a wedding soon." The dark god replied with a low chuckle.

"Aren't you exaggerating, _hermanito_?" Zipacna stated. "They've just met."

"Besides, since when do you want her to get married?" Xochiquétzal stated matter-of-factly, crossing her arms. "Two weeks ago you didn't want any boys three inches near her."

"Well, I've realized she's old enough to be in a relationship." Xibalba replied simply, not removing his eyes off his baby as she danced.

"Everyone's watching us…" Camazok gulped and started to sweat; he was never the type to like crowds.

"Don't worry, the dance's almost over…" Marigold whispered, smiling a bit at him. "By the way, you're not such a bad dancer."

"You really think so?"

"Well, up to now you have not stepped on my feet."

They laughed a bit, blushing. The other suitors couldn't understand how come Camazok could make her blush while they couldn't even get her to _smile_ at them; the older gods knew why. The young bat god wasn't trying to court her, he was just himself. A friend, that's all she wanted, not a poor fool trying to impress her. It wasn't long before the music was over, and the couples separated, going back to their tables to continue chatting. Xibalba, however, recalled he had promised his daughter they'd only stay for a while, so he excused himself from the table and approached the pair.

"Sweetie, it's time to go." He said gently.

"Coming, papá." Marigold replied, turning to Camazok. "Well, I guess I'll see you later…"

"Yeah…" Camazok's ears drooped. "If my brother doesn't kill me…"

"You'll be fine." She patted his shoulder with a friendly smile. "Bye."

As she left with her father, Camazok stared at her with a goofy, embarrassed smile. She truly was a special girl, no wonder everyone loved her, he wondered if such a beautiful young woman would ever pay attention to a wimp like him. Speaking of which, he had to think of something to do before every single god in there went for his head.

Once they were making their way down the stairs, Xibalba glanced at his daughter with a grin. "Looks like you had fun with Camazok."

"Don't get your hopes up, papá. He's cute and polite, but we just met and we're only friends." Marigold said before her father got a wrong idea.

"That's what you're saying now, my sweet…"

He had already plans in mind.

* * *

"You did what?!" Carmen could not believe what she had heard.

"I'm sorry…"

"You realize what you did, don't you?!" Carlos continued with the 'sermon', his arms folded behind his back as he paced in front of his grandson with a frown. "You know how much your parents and your sister must be suffering right now, don't you?!"

"I know, I admit I did go too far, but…"

Anita shook her head from her wheelchair. "You wanted to see Marigold so badly?"

He sighed. "Yes, I thought she wouldn't come back, and even if she did she wouldn't have wanted to listen to me."

"So, what are you going to do?" Carlos stated, finally glancing at him. "Even if you talk to her, what are you going to do after that? What are you going to do about your mother? Your father? Everyone up there, they are certainly suffering right now, did you think about it before doing something as rash as that?!"

"Carlos, don't be so hard on him!" Carmen reproached her husband before placing a hand on Juan Carlos's shoulder. "Juan, I understand your motives, but it doesn't justify what you did. It was rash and irresponsible. Once you come here there's no going back."

"And I doubt Xibalba will want to bring you back to life…" Luis commented in low voice.

"Considering that he hates my guts, he'll probably turn me into dust if he finds out…" Juan Carlos trembled in dismay. "But I have to talk to Marigold, I don't care if I have to go all the way… wherever he lives."

"The Land of the Forgotten?" Jorge stated. "You'd have to go to the Cave of Souls… Well, Manolo has told you the story."

"Wouldn't it be easier if you waited till he came? He has to come up every few days to see how things are running around here, Marigold often comes with him." Carmelo stated.

"Didn't you just hear the boy? If Xibalba finds out he's here he'll be _finito_!"

"Who says he had to find out?"

"You're suggesting that he _sneaks_ into the castle?" Jorge scoffed. "That's easier said than done, the entry corridor always leads into the throne room, where he spends most of the time."

"But Marigold always hangs out with us," Scardelita stated proudly.

Adelita nodded and glanced at Juan Carlos. "We could lend you a hand in seeing her without the tar face finding out."

"You would do that for me?" Juan Carlos asked his cousin in awe.

"_Claro, primo_!"

"That's what family is for, after all!" Luis pulled his grandson in a hug.

"Not before you go to your room and think of what you've done, _jovencito_." Carmen stated matter-of-factly, pointing at one of the doors. "You're not coming out till you've thought about the consequences of your actions!"

Juan Carlos groaned in dismay. And here he thought his mother was strict.

* * *

The next morning, Marigold did feel a little better, but only a little. She was still sad over what happened with Juan Carlos, and wondered what he had been doing these days. She missed his family, his little sister she had come to see as her own, the Rodriguez brothers, all the people in San Ángel (well, General Posada was an exception). Besides, she had a feeling of dread brewing up inside her chest, one she could not explain.

Dressing up in her casual clothing, Marigold reluctantly made her way out of her room and down the hallway and stairs towards the dining hall. Oddly, her father was not there, breakfast wasn't even served yet. That, and there was a familiar figure taking a look at the obsidian table.

"C-Camazok?"

The bat god jumped startled and turned around, his face all red in embarrassment. "M-Marigold! Hum… I…" he grew nervous and unsure of what to say. "I'm s-sorry if I came too early…"

"Don't worry, but… what are you doing here?"

"You invited me to have breakfast., didn't you?"

Marigold blinked. "Huh? I did?"

"Well, I…" Camazok gulped and held out a single red rose. "I brought you this…" he hoped she wouldn't be angry because he brought her a rose, just like she did with all her other suitors.

However, her reaction was quite the opposite. "Thank you, it's beautiful." She smiled, taking the rose and sniffing it. "How did you know I liked them?"

Before Camazok could answer, the doors opened and Xibalba entered the dining hall with a smile on his face. Marigold had an idea to what was going on, but she preferred to first make sure of it.

"Camazok, what a surprise!" The dark god stated with a welcoming gesture, something unusual in his demeanor. "What brings you here?"

"Well, Marigold invited me."

"She did?" Xibalba glanced at his daughter with a grin.

"Are you joining us for breakfast, My Lord?"

"I'm afraid I have a little too much work, so you'll have to excuse me. But you and Marigold could go ahead and chat a bit."

That was it.

"Would you excuse us for a minute?" Marigold told Marigold through clenched teeth as she grabbed her father's arm and led him out of the dining hall. When she was certain Camazok couldn't hear them, she looked up at him with an annoyed look. "Seriously?"

"What?" Xibalba shrugged nervously.

"Papá, I told you he was only a friend!"

"Don't friends have breakfast together every now and then?"

"And you had to tell him that _I_ invited him? What are you trying to do?!" she thought for a moment. "No, I don't need an answer to that."

"Come on, sweetie, he's a good guy, you said so yourself."

"But I meant as a friend, not as a suitor!"

"Besides…" Xibalba took his hands behind his back and grinned teasingly at his daughter. "I won our little wager, didn't I?"

He _had_ to bring that topic just _now_. "You don't have to abuse it!"

"Marigold, go back there and attend your guest. That's an order."

It was not a command, rather, it was more like he was asking it of her. That's what she felt. Knowing it was futile, Marigold sighed and walked back into the dining hall, where Camazok was fidgeting with the obsidian utensils. She smiled at him and tucked her wings close to her body.

"So, should we have a seat?"


	14. Reunion

The next day, Zipacna decided to pay a visit to his brother, and see how Marigold was doing now that he was on it. As he teleported in front of the castle gates and made his way inside, he was received by Emilio, as usual. "Evening, Lord Zipacna. You've come to see Xibalba, right?"

"Eyup, and Marigold. Is she home?"

"Well, actually she went out with _joven_ Camazok on her father's insistence." Emilio sighed. "I must say, she's a bit much better now."

"Better?"

"At least she doesn't stay in bed all day anymore, that's something."

"Yeah, well, since Marigold is out, where can I find Xibalba?"

"He's probably in his study."

Thanking Emilio one more time, Zipacna walked down the hall towards his brother's study, wondering how he was so calm about the matter. A week ago, he didn't want any boys near his baby girl and now he was telling her to hang out with Camazok? Just after she broke up with Juan Carlos? Something smelled fishy, and this time it was no joke.

When he was in front of the doors to the study, he didn't bother to knock as he pushed a door open. "_Hermanito_, you in there?"

Xibalba lifted his gaze from the paper he was writing on to take a look at his older sibling. "Have you ever heard of the word knocking?" he inquired with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"What? Can I pay a visit to my little brother every now and then?" Zipacna retorted with a chuckle, choosing to ignore the remark. "What are you doing?"

"Wedding planning, if you don't mind."

"Oh, sorry if I interrupted-" Zipacna blinked when he processed the words. "Wait, what?! Whose wedding are you planning-?!" he thought for a moment "Oh, no."

"What?" and he acted like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Are you serious?! She's only met him for… two days! And that boy is one of Camazotz's sons!"

"He's nothing like his good-for-nothing father nor his abusive brother, she's told me so herself."

"But you're getting a little ahead of yourself! Besides, since when did you want her to marry when a while ago you didn't stand seeing her near boys?!"

"Well, I've come to realize she's old enough to be in a relationship."

"As if. And let me guess, she doesn't know about it."

Xibalba chuckled. "I want it to be a surprise, though I'm not sure about the floral arrangements. You think I should commission roses or lilies? I can't decide on which to use, those are her favorites."

"Seriously?" Zipacna shook his head in disappointment. "Have you even thought about what she actually wants?"

"I've thought of what is best for her, I don't know if you've noticed but she's not crying in her room over that human who broke her heart. And do me a favor, do not tell Marigold about this just yet."

Zipacna decided not to push it any further. "Just think on what you're doing, okay? Marigold is old enough to know who she wants to be with, you can't be choosing for her all her life. Tell her I say hello." With this, he was gone in a blur of feathers.

When his brother left, Xibalba sighed and took another look at his list; there were still los of things he had to see for the wedding (telling Marigold being one of them). Cake, decorations, catering, invitations and he'd have to ask Quetzalcóatl or the Candlemaker (hopefully Quetzalcóatl) if he could officiate the ceremony… Everything had to be perfect, for her. and there was the most important thing of all, the dress.

Xibalba stood from his chair and teleported to his chambers; kneeling down, he reached down under his bed and brought out a dust-covered box from underneath. Blowing the dust from the box, he removed the lid and stared at the object inside. A beautiful wedding gown, with golden trimming and hand-sewn marigolds on the neckline and sleeves. Xibalba smiled sadly as he gently ran a hand over the old fabric, recalling when his Muertita once wore it the day they got married; after her passing he tucked it away safely, saving it for Marigold for the day she joined her life to the man of her dreams… Sure, it would need a few adjustments, but he had no doubt it would look beautiful on her. He only hoped Xochiquétzal still had her measurements.

* * *

Camazok _had_ to admit, the Land of the Remembered was truly as beautiful as he had heard, with the endless _fiestas_, the spirits dancing around and having fun, as well as the legendary banquets. He had watched fondly as Marigold enjoyed some _churros_ with hot chocolate, that treat was her favorite, it seemed. Not only that, but as they took a stroll through the main avenue, Camazok could see that Marigold was very well-liked and beloved by everyone, particularly by a group of children who were always trailing behind her when she came up.

"Who's the bat face?" Antonia inquired, looking up at Camazok while hiding behind the young goddess.

"Does he bite?" José added.

"Not really." Marigold giggled. "I think."

"Even if I wanted to, my fangs are very tiny." Camazok blushed. He had grown comfortable enough with Marigold to stop his stuttering. "At least if you compare them to my father or brother's."

"Are you a vampire?" Pedro squealed in delight.

"Nono! I'm a god of darkness, that's different."

"Are you dating?"

At the question, Marigold immediately got on the defensive. "Nonono! We're just hanging out as friends!"

"Yeah, friends, we've only known each other for a few days." Camazok blushed, but he noticed a sudden change of mood in Marigold as she discarded her friends' suspects. He decided to change the subject. "So, they were your friends when you were a girl?"

"They still are." Marigold returned to her cheerful mood.

"Sometimes she takes us on a carriage ride!" Antonia said.

"Or flying!" José added in excitement, hopping happily. "Though the first time we nearly crashed into the castle."

"Don't remind me." Marigold sighed in dismay. "Papá grounded me for crashing against a table and dropping everything on it."

"But it was very fun!" Pedro laughed.

Camazok had nearly burst out laughing at the anecdote. "Wow, you sure had a lot of adventures when you were a child." Just then, from amongst the crowd of Remembered that was going on with their afterlives normally came two young women clad in red dresses, sombreros and bandoliers.

"Hey, Marigold!" they cried out simultaneously.

Her eyes lit up in delight. "Adelita! Scardelita!" she waved a hand at them. "Over here!"

"We've been looking around for you, and they told us in the castle that…" they noticed she was accompanied by another god. "Who is he?" Adelita inquired curiously.

"Oh, he's Camazok, a friend."

"Mucho gusto." The bat god bowed politely at the twins.

"Camazok, these are Adelita and Scardelita Sánchez. They're friends from the Sánchez lineage."

"I think I've heard about them, they fought in the Revolution, right?"

They crossed their arms proudly. "And we won!" Scardelita spoke next. "Anyway, Marigold, could you accompany us for a moment? There's something we'd like to show you."

Momentarily wondering if she should leave Camazok alone with the children, in the end she complied. "Camazok, would you mind staying with my friends for a while?"

"No, don't worry, I'll just hang around here."

When Marigold left with the Sánchez twins, Camazok looked around and bent down by the waist so he could speak with the children. "So… could you tell me a bit more about Marigold?"

"What?" José inquired, tilting his head in a funny way.

"You know, what she likes, dislikes, her favorite food, and those kind of things."

"Why do you want to know?" Antonia asked.

"Well, she's been very kind to me and I'd like to make up something for her one of these days."

"Like a surprise party?"

"Not so big, rather… something like a bouquet of flowers."

The children giggled.

Meanwhile, Marigold followed the twins through the nearby plaza, making their way through the stone path through the beautiful gardens. "So, what's this thing you girls wanted to show me?"

"It's a surprise." Scardelita replied with a mischievous grin.

"One you're going to like!" Adelita stated.

Marigold rolled her eyes with a grin as she kept following them around for another five minutes before the twins 'mysteriously' disappeared, hiding behind some bushes when Marigold wasn't looking. Marigold looked around the garden, wondering where they had gone, until suddenly she heard something coming from down the path. A guitar playing. That instrument made her feel nostalgic, a part of her wanted to go back down the path or cover her ears to stop hearing it, but another part of her wanted to follow the music. She walked down the path as the music became louder, until she came upon the small bridge that led into a little island in the middle of the mini lake.

The sight she beheld was enough to make her gasp in delight and surprise.

There was a pathway of red and white rose petals leading into the island, with lit candles at the sides, reflecting on the water beautifully. Marigold walked down the bridge and unto the island, towards the willow tree, gently moving the leaves aside to make her way under it. The music was truly beautiful, but she couldn't yet see the one playing it.

**_Wise men say only fools rush in_**

**_but I can't help falling in love with you_**

**_Shall I stay_**

**_would it be a sin_**

**_If I can't help falling in love with you_**

She froze and her feathers bristled in shock and reminiscence. She knew that voice, coming from the tree. She approached the tree when she caught something in its bark, a carving in the shape of a heart, with something written in it.

**I love you**

**_Like a river flows surely to the sea_**

**_Darling so it goes_**

**_some things are meant to be_**

**_take my hand, take my whole life too_**

**_for I can't help falling in love with you_**

It couldn't be… as she gave a few steps back, she noticed the singing was coming from behind her now. Slowly she turned around and found herself staring into very familiar, loving eyes. Juan Carlos smiled at her as he continued to play the guitar.

**_Like a river flows surely to the sea_**

**_Darling so it goes_**

**_some things are meant to be_**

**_take my hand, take my whole life too_**

**_for I can't help falling in love with you_**

**_for I can't help falling in love with you_**

They remained just like that, staring into each other's eyes, though since in her godly form Marigold was taller than Juan Carlos it felt rather awkward.

After a few seconds, Marigold passed out on the spot.

* * *

"Marigold?"

She stirred when she heard someone calling her name. Her eyes cracked open and she realized she was still under the willow tree, and when her vision cleared she recognized the figure cradling her with concerned eyes.

"Am I dreaming?" she whispered, her head still dizzy.

"No, you're pretty much awake." Scardelita stated, chuckling at what had happened.

When she finally realized what was going on and realized she was not hallucinating, she slid out of Juan Carlos's embrace with a shocked look. "But what are you doing down here?!"

"It's a long story…" Juan Carlos recalled the reason he had come down in the first place. "Marigold, about what happened-!"

"I don't want to hear it!" that reopened the wound, and her eyes swelled up with tears as she stood up and tried to fly away, but Juan Carlos managed to grab unto her arm.

"Please, listen to me! It's not what it seems!"

"Let me go!" Marigold still refused to look at him, she didn't want him to see she was crying.

"I killed myself to find you!"

She froze at the revelation, her heart nearly stopped inside her chest as she finally turned around to look at Juan Carlos, processing what he had just said about taking his own life for her. She could not believe it. "What did you say?" she whispered, her eyes moist.

"Yes, I went to _Monte Culebra_ and allowed the rattlesnakes to bite me! I had to talk to you, but I knew no other way to do so!"

"Y-You did… for me?" She could not believe it.

"Please, just listen to him." Adelita said.

"Come on, sis, let's give them some privacy." Scardelita had to drag her older twin away from the tree.

Still bewildered, Marigold didn't know what to say, but she guessed she had nothing to lose. "What do you want to tell me?" she asked, hugging herself and tucking her wings close.

"Listen, I didn't kiss that girl! Well, it looked like it but, she just came out of nowhere and tripped into my arms, when I tried to help her she…"

"She what?"

"I don't know how to say it… her eyes changed color and my head went blank…"

"Are you done yet?" there was pained irritation in her voice.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"It's not only that, Juan Carlos. I can't believe you threw away your life like that!"

"I did it for you!" Juan Carlos grabbed her hands. "I needed to see you again!"

"What about your family?!" Marigold was close to tears now. "Did you think about them?! Do you have any idea of how much they must be suffering right now?!" she stepped away from him, turning away and trying to hide from view with her wings. A blur of emotions was boiling inside her chest; a part of her was happy to see him again, another was angry at him for having done such a rash thing, and yet another was still hurt about his betrayal.

"I swear, I have never deceived you! That girl came out of nowhere hypnotized me!"

"You don't get it, do you?" Marigold gave him a sad look. "This is not only about that… it's about of what you just did. If my father finds out you're here I don't know what he will do to you, and I won't be able to help you this time!"

Juan Carlos was relieved to hear she was worried about him, a sign that she still cared about him, but she had a good point there. "What's the worst thing he could do to me?"

"You killed yourself, you understand? That's enough to send you to the Land of the Cursed, you'll be tortured there for the rest of eternity! I don't want you to go through that!"

The seriousness in her voice made him shiver in dread, but nevertheless he took her hands. "Seeing you again is worth the risk. I don't care if he sends me down there, I will find a way back to you." There was determination in his voice like never before, but she still slid her hands away from his grasp. There was a deep suffering in her face and she finally felt the tears roll down her cheeks.

"Ay, Juan Carlos… you don't know…" she was sobbing. "You don't know…"

"Know what? What are you talking about?"

"I can't see you…"

"But Marigold, I explained you what happened-!"

"It's not about that!" she snaps, looking away while rubbing her arms. "I made a wager with my father by the Ancient Rules…"

"A wager?" Juan Carlos was confused. "What wager?"

"The night after he locked me up, he proposed a wager so that I could be with you. If you broke my heart in any way, I would never see you again and I would have to marry whoever he thought was a good match."

Now it was Juan Carlos who was baffled, shocked and hurt. "What?" Had it been so serious? Was it why she was so angry and sad?

"I can imagine he's already planning the wedding."

"Can't you refuse? He has no right to choose for you-!"

"It was a pact by the Ancient Rules, it cannot be undone!" Marigold yelled, trembling with rage and sorrow. "You _broke_ my heart. Even if what you said is true, you still hurt me, the condition papá put on me to keep seeing you was that you didn't. There's nothing to do."

He wouldn't give up. "Then I'll go to him and tell him myself!" As he was about to walk away, she stopped him by the arm.

"No, you won'!" she pinned him against the tree with glossy eyes that glistened with fire. "He'll hurt you! I wouldn't stand if he did anything to you, you have to promise me that you won't let him find you!"

"But-!"

"Promise me!"

There was a fire in her eyes that he had not seen before; maybe it was because she was now taller than him. Realizing it was futile to argue, Juan Carlos looked down in despair. "I promise…" he didn't have time to react as suddenly Marigold's lips came into contact with his, and now he realized they tasted like sugar. But soon she pulled away and walked away from him.

"_Adios_, Juan…" with all the pain of the world in her heart, she took off with a flap of her wings.

He went after her. "Marigold, wait!"

But she was already gone.


	15. Permiso

**Okay, dear readers, I'll clear up some confusion about my soul mate headcannon. In Juan Carlos and Marigold's case, the soul mate thing works out differently because he is a human and she is a goddess; if they were both gods he'd have a feature that is reminiscent to her, and vice versa, but since he's a human no one can tell they are soul mates, not even they themselves. How they figure it out it's going to be a surprise!**

**Okay, in this chap I'll do some explorations on Camazok's relationship with his family, and Víbora will make his next move!**

**Well, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Marigold didn't feel like hanging out anymore after reencountering with Juan Carlos, though she said nothing to Camazok about this. She simply told him she was feeling ill and that she would be returning home, though he offered to accompany her at least. After saying goodbye to her childhood friends, they teleported back to the Land of the Forgotten. Camazok opened the castle gates for her in an act of chivalry, and she smiled lightly at him as a thanking gesture.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later, then." Camazok said, his ears drooping.

"Aren't you staying for dinner?" Marigold inquired.

"I'd rather decline the offer. I wouldn't like to be a bother."

"Oh, no, you're no bother at all."

"Thanks, I think you need some time for yourself."

Marigold nodded. "_Gracias_."

As Camazok left, closing the door, Marigold made her way back to her room, not really hungry either. She just wanted to go to her room and lie down; there was a blurry of emotions inside her chest that confused her. Damn it, why was love so complicated?! As she came to the doors of her room and walked in, closing them behind her, she glided to her bed and collapsed on top of it, her hand hanging down on the side. Latoso crawled from underneath the bed and licked her hand, as if inquiring to what was wrong.

"Hey, Latoso…" Marigold picked him up and pulled him into bed with her. She wasn't sure on what to do now. On one hand, reencountering her first love made her happy, and a part of her thought she still loved him, but she made a bet and lost, she could never be with him again even if she wanted to, besides now that Juan Carlos was dead and in the realm of the dead her father could do anything to him if he ever found out. On the other hand, she had taken a liking to Camazok and saw him as a good friend, but nothing more. She was certain her father was already planning the wedding behind her back (he tended to do these kind of things without her knowledge), but even though she liked Camazok she was certain she would never love him that way.

Someone knocked on her door. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Oh, great. Her father had to come in the least opportune moment. " I'm okay, papá." She replied, but she failed to hide the sadness in her voice. And unfortunately, her father seemed to have some sort of radar for it.

Xibalba opened the door and saw his daughter on bed with an air of sorrow. "Are you coming down to dinner?"

"I'm not hungry, papá…"

When she said those words, he instantly knew something was bothering her. "What's wrong, _mi florecita_?" he inquired softly, approaching her bed and sitting down.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

He smiled lightly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You know you can tell me anything, sweetie."

If only it were so easy. "If I asked you something, would you answer me truthfully?"

"Of course, my dear. I'd never lie to you." He felt a pang of guilt as he spoke those words. Damn it, just when he thought it had stopped.

Marigold glanced back at him with questioning eyes. "Are you planning a wedding behind my back?"

Damn. Why did she have to be so smart? Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed that she had found out before time. "Sort of…" he chuckled nervously.

She didn't find it any funny, however. "Are you serious? I've barely known Camazok for a few days and you're already planning a wedding?" she crossed her arms at him. "Why don't you start buying things for my children too?"

"Don't take it that badly, sweetie! I wanted it to be a surprise…"

"A surprise?" Marigold shifted away from her father and sat up of bed to give him an annoyed glare. "Papá, I'm **fifteen** years old! I'm too old for you to be taking decisions for me!"

"I just want the best for you."

"Stop saying that, would you?! Have you stopped to think of what I feel? Or what Camazok feels? What if he doesn't like me that way?"

"Marigold, don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet! He _does_ have feelings for you!"

"But I don't!"

Xibalba was losing his patience. "Marigold, we made a wager, and you lost." He crossed his arms. "You're marrying whoever I think is a good match for you, without protesting."

Marigold couldn't believe he was taking advantage of that. "I can't believe it! Must you really bring that up now?!"

"Just one chance, Marigold! That's all I'm asking of you, give the boy a chance!"

"Technically you're forcing me to marry someone I don't love!"

"Come on, sweetie. I'm sure that with time you would come to love him."

"You talk about love like it was a weed!"

"Enough!" Xibalba stood up from bed and gave his daughter a mildly stern look. "Listen, I know you're still hurt about the human's betrayal, but it doesn't mean Camazok will do the same."

"You don't get it, do you?" Marigold turned her back on her father. "It's not about him doing what Juan Carlos did. I simply don't love him that way, he's just a friend. You say you want the best for me, but you're willing to marry me against my will with someone I barely know. Would you have liked if they had done the same to you?"

"M-Marigold, I…"

"Please, just leave me alone for now. I'm not in the mood for doing anything." She lay down on bed once more, wrapping her wings around her body. "Just let me be for a while…"

Xibalba sighed sadly, realizing she would not listen to him for the time being. "Okay, sweetie… But please, would you at least think about it?"

She was so desperate to be alone she complied. "Okay. I'll think about it, papá…"

As he headed towards the door, the dark god glanced back at his daughter sadly. "_Te quiero_, _mi florecita_." When he closed the door behind him, he made his way down the hall to his chambers, and he didn't realize how broken he was at seeing his beloved child sad until he stumbled down the hall, just managing to hold himself to his feet by leaning unto his staff. Just then, Regina happened to be walking down the hall, and she noticed how downtrodden he was. Again.

"My Lord?" she inquired as she walked closer to him.

"Oh, no!" Xibalba muttered, his hand pressing tightly on his face, his brow wrinkling as he grimaced. "Please, don't give me one of your sermons! I really am not in the mood!"

"Why would I give you a sermon if you have done nothing wrong?" Regina thought for a moment. "Yet."

"I just… I don't know what to do anymore. Marigold's changed, she's closing off to me, all because of a human!"

"Or maybe because you're going a little too far with your overprotectiveness."

"See?! There you go with your sermons again!"

"I'm just trying to help, My Lord. It's just that you don't tend to appreciate it."

"Say, Regina…" Xibalba sighed. He couldn't believe what he was going to do. "I need some… advice." He shivered at the word.

Regina raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms questioningly. "How come now you want to listen to my sermons?"

"I need help with Marigold. I don't understand why she's being so difficult about this, and I thought that since you're a woman, you could lend me a hand in figuring out."

Regina sighed and shook her head at her King. "You have to stop pressuring her about this marriage idea, she's only fifteen! She's in the flower of youth, let her enjoy it! Besides, why did you suddenly change your mind about her getting married?" She noticed how Xibalba crossed his arms and looked away with what appeared to be a… guilty face?

"She told me she's old enough to be in a relationship, and I think she deserves a chance to try it out."

"But as friends, not fiancés! They're not even that! They've just met, there's no worst marriage than one without love." Her look softened. "Would you have liked to have been separated from La Muerte and then being forced to marry without your consent?"

"That's…." he wanted to say it was not the same thing, but he couldn't find the words.

"Look, I know you want the best for her, but you can't try to control her life. She's growing up, as much as it hurts, one day she will have to leave the nest. She has the right to choose who she wants to marry."

Xibalba glanced away sadly. "Sometimes I wonder if you truly try to help but at making me feel even worse."

Rolling her eyes once more, Regina shook her head. "By the way, young Camazok arrived a while ago. He said he'd like to discuss a matter with you."

"He does?" this caught the god's attention. "Where is he?"

"Emilio told him to wait in the throne room."

"Good."

The dark god didn't say another word as he made his way to his throne room with a heavy heart, a great part of him still felt guilty over all that had been happening, even though he kept telling himself that it was the best for Marigold to forget about the human and go on with her life. But then Regina's words did make him feel pangs of regret, especially when she mentioned his late wife, and brought out that his baby would sooner or later leave him to make her own life. The very thought broke his heart. However, when he teleported into the throne room, just in front of his throne, he put on his familiar mask of coldness and apathy.

Camazok had been pacing around the foyer nervously, thinking on what to tell his friend's father about this. Would he think it was too soon? Or skin him alive? Xibalba had a reputation of being very overprotective of his daughter, sure, he had been lenient with him for the moment but he didn't know how he would react to _this_. Naturally, when the dark god appeared just in front of his throne, Camazok nearly fainted.

"I was told you wanted to speak with me?" Xibalba asked coldly, sitting down on his throne and summoning a glass of wine in his hand.

"Y-Yes, My Lord…" Camazok gulped, his ears drooping, his stuttering returning once more as he struggled to find the right words. "S-See, as you c-can see, M-Marigold and I have b-been spending some t-time together…"

Xibalba grunted and took a sip from his wine. "Go straight to the point, boy. I don't have all night."

"I know t-this m-might be too soon, b-but I… I'd like to…"

"Spit it out already!"

"I'dliketoaskforyourpermissiontocourther!"

Blinking in confusion, Xibalba narrowed his eyes at the young bat god in front of him. "Say it again. Slowly this time."

Camazok sighed, and managed to calm down enough to talk. "I'd like to ask for your permission to court her." He cowered and shielded himself with his wings nervously, in case Xibalba threw something at him. "I know most of the other gods must have asked you for her hand, but I'm not asking for it. First I'd like to know if there's a possibility Marigold could someday return my feelings. If she doesn't, I'll understand." When he heard no reply, he assumed Xibalba was thinking on what he'd do to him for asking such a thing, but much to his shock, Xibalba smiled a little at him.

"Very well, boy. You have my permission."

Camazok blinked in surprise. "T-That easy? Aren't you g-going to sk-kin me alive? Or unleash your h-hounds on m-me?" he had heard he had done those things to those bold enough to ask him for Marigold's hand in marriage.

"I usually would, but you're nothing like all those others who came before you. My daughter herself has told me so, she likes you as a friend, but I'm certain you can win her affections. Thanks to you she overcame her… disappointment with the human she had an affair with, and for that I'll be eternally grateful."

To say Camazok was excited would have been an understatement. But he didn't want to look childish in front of his 'father-in-law', and so he bowed politely at him, internally squealing in delight and thanking the heavens for this chance. "_Gracias_, My Lord! I'll make her happy, I promise!" he thought for a moment. "Well, I think that would have to be tomorrow, I guess she must be asleep right now! But once again, thank you very much!" in his way out, Camazok didn't see where he was going and nearly knocked off one of the many adorning vases, but he managed to catch it just in time, before leaving the throne room in embarrassment. Xibalba just shook his head with a chuckle and continued to drink his wine.

* * *

Víbora stared down at Marigold's sleeping form with half-disdainful, half-curious eyes, one part of him felt attracted to her striking resemblance to his beloved La Muerte, and yet another was disgusted at the fact that she carried Xibalba's blood in her veins. Everything was going according to plan, this girl had no idea of what her father had done… yet. And that's when he comes in, planting the doubt in her mind, and it would take root. There was nothing more torturous than doubt.

Marigold stirred on bed, her dark waves spreading out like the roots of a tree, oblivious to the shadow that stared down at her, but her subconscious sent out an alarm to the rest of her system at the familiar atmosphere. She shivered as suddenly she felt a cold whisper into her ear.

"You poor girl…" she heard a voice, an eerily familiar voice. "If only you knew what your father did to you."

She frowned instinctively, and she thought her reply, believing it to be just a dream. "_What are you talking about?_"

"He cheated on your wager."

At the revelation, she clutched unto her pillow, but she then snapped. "_That's a lie_!"

"He turned his snake into a woman and sent him to kiss your boyfriend."

"_I do not believe you_!"

"Do not feel bad, my dear. It's not the first time he's done something like this. He cheated on a wager with your mother."

That caught her by surprise. "_What are you talking about?_"

"Has he never told you? Before you were born, he made a bet with your mother regarding a love triangle between three people you have already met. The parents of your boyfriend, and the soldier called Joaquín, whom your father chose as his champion, and whom he gave the Medal of Everlasting Life to ensure his victory. He killed your mother's champion with his snake as well, in order to win by default, all because he wanted the Land of the Remembered, condemning your mother, whom he claimed to love, down here."

Marigold couldn't believe what she was hearing. "_You're a liar_! _Why are you telling me this horrible things_? _Who are you_?!"

"I'll just tell you that your father and I… have history. You'll find out soon enough, child."

With those parting words, Víbora vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile, Camazok teleported to his father's castle with a goofy smile on his face, his tiny fangs sticking out from his mouth in a comical fashion. He had never been so happy in his entire life. At long last he found a chance to love someone, and perhaps be loved in return, but he wanted to get to know her more. She was a wonderful girl, and he wanted to know her as much as possible, if he ever gathered the courage to ask for her hand he wanted to be certain he could make her happy.

"About time you appeared."

Camazok was brought out of his happy state when he heard his older brother's voice, realizing that in his excitement he forgot he was supposed to sneak to his bedroom. Camazotl dove down from his hiding spot in the ceiling and landed just in front of his smaller, wimpier little brother. "Where were you?"

"Since when do you care about what I do, Camazotl?" Camazok replied, trying but failing not to sound nervous.

"Oh, I usually wouldn't care less as to what you do with your pathetic life." Camazotl hissed on reply. "But a little bird told me you have been hanging around Marigold."

"Don't tell me you're jealous."

"Me? Jealous of _you_? Ha! Don't make me laugh! There's no way you can compare yourself to all of _this_!" Camazotl gestured at his whole, muscular body to make a point.

"You talk too much for having being rejected."

"She didn't reject me! She simply was still sore about that human scum, the one she had an affair with!"

"Well, to me it looked like she didn't want to be an inch near you, so much she asked me out to dance."

"Please, the only reason she hangs around you is because she's sorry for you."

Camazok started to grow angry. "That's a lie!"

"No, it's not! You're so pathetic there's no woman that would ever set her eyes on you!"

"For your information, Lord Xibalba had given me permission to court her!"

The following silence made him regret having spoken, especially when his brother's shocked expression turned into a glare. "_What_?" Camazotl spat, not believing what he had just heard.

"Y-Yeah! He gave me permission to court Marigold!"

"And why, if I may know, would he give his consent to you of all people?"

"Because unlike the others, you included, I didn't woo Marigold as soon as I met her! She's not a trophy to compete over; she's a wonderful girl who deserves to be treated like a Queen, not like a sex toy!"

Camazok stepped back when Camazotl started to advance on him. "You better watch your tongue, little brother. Do not forget I'm stronger than you."

"I don't care." For the first time in his life, Camazok was standing up to his elder sibling. "I will protect her from you if I have to."

Camazotl chuckled darkly. "Please. If I wanted to, I could steal her from you and win her heart in the blink of an eye."

"You wish. She's no fool, she would never fix her eyes on you. She deserves better!"

Before Camazotl could retort, Camazok had already turned into a bat and flown away to his room.

* * *

Marigold stirred awake next morning with a pounding headache; she recalled hearing a voice last night, whispering into her ear, talking about her father cheating, on their wager and another which he made with her mother years ago. But no, she refused to believe it, he would never do that to her. She couldn't understand whose voice she had heard last night, she was certain she had heart it before, but she couldn't tell where, and when. She felt like she had heard it before in a dream, long ago, but when she tried to remember her head would start to ache, so she opted to stop thinking about it.

After getting dressed, she walked out of her room and down the foyer towards the dining hall, followed by Latoso. Much to her surprise, she found her father was already there, as if he had been waiting for her for a long while.

"_Buenos días, mi florecita_." Xibalba smiled at his daughter and received her with a hug. "Did you sleep well?"

"Sort of." Marigold replied gently.

Noticing she sounded upset, he pulled back from the embrace an looked down at her in worry. "Is something bothering you?"

"No, no. I'm okay, papá, it's just…" Marigold crossed her arms and looked down in thought. "I… I thought about what you said last night."

Hope glistened in Xibalba's eyes. "You did?"

"…" Marigold closed her eyes shut, and did her best to contain her tears. "I realized you are right. Maybe I should give Camazok a chance, he _is_ a good person, much more polite and gentlemanly than any other god I've ever met."

"I'm glad you realized I'm doing what's best for you, my sweet." She felt her father's hand on her shoulder. "But you're young, I think I did exaggerate a bit. Perhaps I should postpone the wedding, at least until you've grown comfortable with the idea of having Camazok as a husband."

Marigold managed to smile a bit at her father, as she finally looked up at him. "Papi?"

"What is it, my sweet?" Xibalba was caught by surprise when his daughter hugged him, her arms wrapping around his torso.

"Thank you…" she whispered, a tear running down her cheek. "For supporting me."

The dark god smiled and returned the embrace, pulling his baby closer to him. "You're welcome, _mi florecita_."

Marigold smiled, resting her head against her father's chest. Now she was certain the words that voice had said were lies.


	16. Three Months Later

**Time skip alert! (not too long, don't worry, just a few months, about three). You're getting a peek to how María, Manolo and Cristina are coping with Juan Carlos's death, Camazotl tries to convince his father to separate Camazok from Marigold, and Juan Carlos and Camazok will finally meet (and unfortunately, Xibalba will find out Juan Carlos has died.)**

* * *

Ever since Juan Carlos's death, the Casa de Sánchez was quiet. You could no longer hear the strings of a guitar being played on as you walked by, and if you did the songs would be sad and mournful. You could no longer hear María humming a song as she cooked meals, nor Cristina's laughter and playing in the courtyard. All of San Ángel seemed to be mourning about the death of the bullfighter, just when he was in the flower of youth, at the beginning of a successful career as a bullfighter. Joaquín often visited his two best friends' home and told them that if they needed anything, he would be there for them. Even General Posada was deeply affected by the death of his grandson, even though he acted all tough.

As María was placing the plates in the table for lunch, she froze when she was about to place a fourth plate, and glanced at the empty chair across hers. Her eyes swelled up with tears, and her heart ached in reminiscence that her son was not with them anymore, and yet it felt like he would cross the door at any moment, greeting his family and telling them on what he had done today. Ever since he died, they were more protective of Cristina, being their only child left, and they knew she was suffering very much for the loss of her older brother.

Placing the plate back on the cupboard, María went into the living room to find Manolo on the couch, his face buried into his hands. She could hear Cristina's sobs from her room, and Chuy's soft whines. He was probably trying to comfort her.

"Is Cristina alright?" María tried to sound as calm as she could, but her voice was shaking with sorrow and pain.

"She's still sad about… She misses him very much…" Manolo replied in a barely audible voice.

"We all do." María sat down next to him, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Manolo stiffened. "It's my fault…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I t-told him that…" his voice was shaking in regret. "T-That the only way he would ever see Marigold again was if he d-died…"

"No, Manolo, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known he would have taken it seriously-"

"I should have considered he would! I'm his father, and I didn't predict he would do something like that! I should have taken care with my words, because of me he died!"

"Manolo!" María snapped. "You can't blame yourself for a decision he took! I know it hurts, he was my son too, but it was his choice…!" by then, she had started to sob too.

A thought suddenly popped in Manolo's brain. "What… What if it wasn't his choice at all?"

"Huh?"

"What if Xibalba had something to do with his death?"

"What are you…?"

"Of course!" Manolo stood up abruptly and paced around the living room. "It makes sense! Maybe he wanted to get back at him for his relationship with Marigold! And he did so by killing him!"

"If he wanted to keep Juan Carlos away from Marigold, then killing him would do the opposite! Juan Carlos must be in the Land of the Remembered, that's where she probably lives!"

"But if he wanted he could turn Juan Carlos into dust! I know what he's capable of to get what he wants!"

"Even if what you are assuming is true, how would he have killed him? The physician said Juan Carlos was bitten by a rattlesnake!"

"But he didn't receive only one bite, he received many! Maybe Xibalba sent that pet of his to bite him, like he did with me!"

"Manolo!" María finally snapped, standing up abruptly. "I know you don't have any reason to like Xibalba, he has many reasons to hate our son and I won't deny your assumptions are not impossible, but he has to think on his daughter too! He must know that if he ever does something to Juan Carlos, Marigold would never forgive him!" she calmed down, but now hot tears were streaming down her face.

Manolo realized he was hurting María too, telling her their son would probably become monster feed, or worse. The least thing he needed was to further break her heart, she was as hurt as him for the tragedy, if not more, she was a mother who lost a child.

"I'm sorry, María…" he embraced his wife, and ran his hand through her hair when she sobbed into his shoulder. "I didn't mean to…"

"I miss him…"

"Me too, mi amor… me too. But he's with my family, in the Land of the Remembered. I'm sure he's very happy."

* * *

Juan Carlos had never been so miserable in his entire life- err, afterlife.

Ever since his last encounter with Marigold, where she asked him not to look for her again, and made him promise that he wouldn't reveal himself t her father. He knew she just tried to protect him, but it didn't mean it hurt. She apparently took that wager very seriously, and she was making a good job in avoiding him altogether.

"Come on, _mijo_! You can't stay sullen for all eternity!" his grandfather Luis told him, patting his head. "You're in the Land of the Remembered, the most festive Land in the universe! Why don't we go to outside and party with everyone?"

"I'm not in the mood, grandpa." Juan Carlos whined, rolling on the couch so that he was facing down, his face buried into the pillows.

"Juan, we know you're sad, but what you're doing it's not healthy!" Carlos added.

"Technically, we're already dead, so it doesn't really matter." Carmelo stated.

Carmen shook her head, and approached her grandson with a sympathetic look. "Juan… It's okay if you miss Marigold, but she's made a choice. Wagers between gods are very serious, we know it, La Muerte once told me so when she lived.

"La Muerte?"

"She was Xibalba's wife, Marigold's mother and the Queen of this wonderful before she died. I'm certain that if she lived, she would be much more comprehensive with the love you share…"

"Juan, the point is that Marigold had no bad intentions when she told you what she told you." Anita added, not glancing up from her knitting. "A daughter knows her father better than anyone. She wants to protect you from Xibalba's wrath, even if she has to renounce to your love."

"If only Xibalba would… What does he have against me?" Juan Carlos finally sat up. "That's what I don't get! Whatever did I do to him?! I understand he's a overprotective dad, who isn't, but then things turned serious and he started to hate my guts!"

"Well, _mijo_, daughters are different from sons, especially if you are a widowed father." Carlos couldn't help but sympathize with the dark god (not that he told his family of this), having been in the same situation, or rather similar, since Manolo was a boy. "Imagine this, he had to raise her by himself, she's his _princesita_, it's natural he'd be especially protective of her. As for the reason he doesn't like you, you don't need to feel bad about it. He doesn't seem to like Sánchezes in particular."

Juan Carlos thought for a moment, before an idea popped inside his brain. "You know what, _abuelo_? You're right, maybe I should try and cheer up a bit."

"Aja! That's the spirit!" Jorge laughed, pulling his great-great grandson into a hug with his good hand.

"Let's have some rounds of _tequila_, now that we're on it!" Luis said. "I'm warning you, mijo, no one can beat good old Luis in a drinking contest!"

"Actually, guys, I was wondering if you could show me La Muerte's castle. I haven't seen it, and everyone says it's the most amazing place in this entire realm."

"Why didn't you say so!" Carmelo picked him up and placed him on his shoulder. "You're going to love the buffet table, there's all kind of food in there, but nothing compared to the _churros_!"

After three months of depression and sorrow, Juan Carlos laughed for the first time. Sure, he wanted to meet La Muerte's famous castle, but he was also hoping Marigold was there. She told him not to speak to her anymore, but she never said anything about seeing her without her knowledge, did she?

On the other side of the city, just beneath the tree on the hill similar to the Proposal Tree in San Ángel, Marigold and Camazok lay sitting, watching at the colorful buildings and bright lights as the endless fiesta continued, even from here the music could be heard. Camazok had grown very fond of this land, at least compared to his father's realm this place was a paradise, almost as good as the Land of the Blessed. He loved how Marigold's eyes brightened when they were here.

"So, Marigold…" he tried to think on what to say. "You were born here, but you grew in the Land of the Forgotten?"

"Yeah." Marigold nodded. "I didn't come here until I was three because papá found it difficult to come after… mamá passed away, it brought him too many memories of her."

"I can tell. I mean, the whole pantheon still talks about it, he truly loved La Muerte, even during their estrangement."

"That's the one thing I don't get. Why did they grow estranged to begin with? Have you heard about it?"

Camazok gulped. He had heard why they grew estranged, but he felt it wouldn't be wise to tell her himself, that was something that didn't concern him at all. "Nope. I don't know why, I haven't heard that much. Why don't you ask your father?"

"He doesn't like to talk about it."

"Say, Marigold…" the bat god grew nervous as he slowly, carefully, shifted closer to Marigold, his hand reaching into the pocket of his loincloth. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you."

She turned to look at him. "What is it?"

"Well, I…. There's… Would you…"

Marigold giggled at how he was stuttering again. That was a quality she liked about him, it made him sound funny. "Think about what you want to say before you speak."

"I know, it's just that…" before he could continue, captain Miguel rode towards them and stopped right in front of them. Camazok sighed and thought. "_Interrupted again_."

"Princess, I'm glad to see you!" the captain stated. "Your father is here."

"Ok, we'll be on our way. Thanks for telling us." The goddess smiled at the spirit, and then turned towards Camazok. "A race to the castle?"

"I'm not precisely fast, Marigold. In fact, I'm a very clumsy flier."

"I used to be very clumsy too, it's a question of practice." Marigold grinned. "But if you are too scared to try, then I guess you can stay here and watch." Blowing him a playful kiss, she took off with a flap of her wings.

Camazok gaped in dismay, before a grin spread across his features. "Oh, you're on!" He took off with a flap of his featherless wings, and flew after her, laughing all the while.

* * *

Camazotz glanced at his older son from his throne with an unamused expression, his ivory claws taping on his crossed arms impatiently. "You want me to do what?"

"Anything! Just get my idiotic brother out of the way so I can have Marigold for myself!" Camazotl retorted, growling and his hair bristling, though not forgetting he was before his father, and had to show him the due respect.

"You do realize this could be a chance to gain influence in the pantheon? Not only we'd be obtaining free leeway into the Land of the Forgotten, but also into the Land of the Remembered, which in case you have forgotten, is realm with the more snacks." The tone in his voice made one wonder if by 'snacks' he was referring to the souls inhabiting the realm, rather than the banquet and actual food. Yet how right his words were, when two gods married, they and their families automatically gained free leeway into the spouse's realm.

"But Camazok? Please, father! There's no way he'll ever catch her attention!"

"He has more possibilities than you, in case you have not noticed. You didn't precisely leave a good impression on Xibalba's daughter, judging from what the pantheon has been talking about these days. The young girls are starting to doubt of your credibility if you can't even catch her attention."

"I would have won her over if-!"

"Besides, I know Xibalba. He would never marry his daughter forcibly with someone she doesn't like, as much as it goes against tradition. And unlike you, Camazok managed to earn her affection to some extent. That gives an advantage."

"But-!"

"So, what are you complaining about your brother's success at what you failed to do? For once, he is doing something right, we should let him enjoy it, and cross our fingers that he won't mess it up this time."

"Exactly! He's probably going to mess it up, I think it would be much better if I were to marry Marigold! I don't let feelings get in the way, like my idiotic brother!"

"Well, your idiotic brother not only obtained the girl's liking, but also Xibalba's approval, that's something no man had ever obtained before, not even _you_, now that we're on it." Having heard enough complaining for one day, Camazotz stood up and stretched his humongous naked wings. "If you can make the girl change her mind about you and steal her back, then fine. If you can't, then stop complaining and whining like a baby and think on what to do."

With this, he turned into a vampire bat to go into the Land of the Living to sate his thirst for human blood.

* * *

When they arrived at the castle, Marigold took Camazok to the dining hall, where her father was apparently waiting for them, which made her suspect that he was up to something (again). Carlos and the rest of the male members of the Sánchez family were casually hanging around the castle too, and they exchanged cheerful greetings, though she could tell they were freaking out with Camazok around; he might be wimpy to the other gods, but to the spirits he looked like a monster from a nightmare. She was tempted to inquire about Juan Carlos, but she didn't want to risk her father overhearing her.

"So, how did your date go?" Xibalba inquired, taking a sip from his wine.

"It was fun, Cam has a great sense of humor." Marigold replied.

"Not really… It's just that sometimes I tend to say the wrong things in the wrong circumstances…" Camazok blushed, his ears drooping.

"Don't be subtle, dear boy. I do admit, you've made _me_ laugh a couple of times, and that's a very hard thing to do these days." The dark god chuckled.

"Well, yeah, but…"

Xibalba had turned to Marigold. "Sweetie, could you go look for Ponzoña? The last thing I need is getting another row of complaints because he snuck into the sauna."

"Sure, papá." She stood up from the table and glided towards the hall that led towards the sauna, where the spirits could go when they wanted to relax a bit. When he was certain his daughter was out of earshot, Xibalba turned his attention to Camazok.

"Did you ask her?" he inquired hopefully.

"I was going to when the captain interrupted us…" Camazok replied, sighing in dismay. "My Lord, are you sure this is a good idea? It's only been three months, there's a high probability that she'll say no."

"I'll worry about that, boy. For now you just think carefully on your words."

Juan Carlos watched in dread at the dark god sitting at the table, hidden behind one of the curtains, praying with all his might he would leave soon so he could sneak out. If Marigold saw him, she'd be angry, if Xibalba saw him, he'd be done for, if Cazazok, or whatever, saw him, he wasn't certain how the bat-looking deity would react. What a problem he had gotten himself into. But the thing that bothered him the most was to see Marigold hanging out with Camazok, and the fact that Xibalba actually approved of him, perhaps because he was a god. When Xibalba and Camazok stood up from the table, his family started to make him dissimulated but alarmed signals to hide back into the curtain, which he did. He heard footsteps, the other Remembered whispering and wondering what was going on, and the sound of a snake hissing.

Marigold had found Ponzoña in the hallway outside the sauna rooms, but before she could tell him anything, he slithered back down the hallway towards the dining hall, confusing her. That's when she knew her father was up to something, especially when Ponzoña looked back at her and motioned her to follow him. Intrigued, she followed suit, her eyes not leaving the snake's shape as they were led back into the dining hall. As she ran back into the dining hall, she came to a halt when Ponzoña's figure disappeared behind Camazok…

She froze when she looked up and found her friend holding a small red box with open lid in his hands, and inside the box was a small gold band that glistened under the golden lights of the dining hall, there was an array of expressions on Camazok's face; nervousness was the dominating emotion, but she could also see a twinge of hope in his eyes. The Remembered had gathered around the pair to see what their princess would say, while Xibalba was watching the scene with a smile, his hands behind his back and the feathers on his wings shifting nervously.

"C-Camazok…" was all she could say for the moment, stuttering and not knowing what to say.

"M-Marigold, you're probably going to c-call me c-crazy for this since we've only b-been dating for three months…" Camazok started to sweat and stutter nervously, but managed to regain his composure when Xibalba gently kicked his leg, reminding him he was supposed to get down in one knee, which he did. "B-But… will you marry me?"

No reply, other than Marigold's wide, bewildered eyes glancing at the band, then at him. The Remembered waited anxiously, while Juan Carlos's eyes snapped open like plates when he heard those words. He took a peek from behind the curtain at what was going on and found that, indeed, the Camazok guy was bent down on one knee, holding out the ring in the box, while Marigold stared at him speechless.

Seeing her uncertainty, Camazok tried to make her feel better. "D-Don't worry, your father said you could."

"He…" Marigold turned to give her father an accusing, offended and bewildered glance. "What?!"

Xibalba flinched when she glared at him. "Come on, _mi florecita_. I think that you've known him long enough to know if you can return his feelings someday." He slithered behind his daughter and gently pushed her forward, closer to Camazok.

Marigold stared down at the bat god with her heart in her throat. She didn't know what to say, and the hope glistening in Camazok's eyes made her stomach churn in guilt, she had grown fond of him but she still wasn't certain if she would ever love him back. The eyes glued unto her didn't make it any easier, the pressure was killing her and she swore she was starting to sweat.

"I…"

When Juan Carlos heard her utter that single word, he panicked thinking she was going to accept, but he didn't realize he was gripping on the curtain whose fabric turned out to be too thin to bear his entire weight, and before he could do anything it ripped and he fell forward, out of his hiding place. His jaw came into contact with the hard marble floor, and he rubbed it painfully, but then he realized he called the attention of everyone present in the room, including a certain dark winged god and a beautiful goddess.

Marigold gasped and took her hand to her mouth when out of sudden Juan Carlos fell from behind a curtain, ripping it in the process, and fell unto the floor. Camazok looked beyond confused (and relieved that everyone's attention was not on him anymore). But Xibalba's expression soon changed from astonishment to anger and hate.

"YOU!"

The other Sánchez immediately ran in front of the newest addition to their clan protectively. "If you want to harm my grandson you'll have to go through me first!" Carlos growled at the god.

"And me!" Luis snapped, getting into a boxing position. "_Entrale_!"

Xibalba was neither intimidated nor amused, however. "Very well." With a snap of his wingers, the four men were sent flying against the wall, leaving Juan Carlos defenseless.

"Papá, please don't hurt him!" Marigold immediately stood between her father and her love, but flinched when Xibalba glared down at her in disbelief.

"You… You knew of this?!"

"No!" Juan Carlos stood up and approached the dark god with a determined, brave look on his face despite the other Remembered signaling him to stop. "She knew nothing! I had not seen her until now!"

"Uh, excuse me…" Camazok timidly asked from behind his 'father-in-law', "who is he?"

"You stay out of this, boy!"

"Okay…" the bat god whimpered and stepped back, not wanting to anger him any further.

Xibalba gently pushed his daughter aside, ignoring her pleas, and walked towards Juan Carlos with a threatening posture, his claws unsheathed and his wings extended out menacingly, almost making the room grow darker. "_What are you doing here?_" he hissed through sharp teeth with acidic hate.

Juan Carlos stood his ground and returned the glare. "I died. I told you, I would find a way back to her."

Angry beyond reason, Xibalba roared a name. "MANUEL!"

The captain trembled and gulped the lump in his throat as he approached his King, trembling like he had been sent to the North Pole. "Y-Yes, your Majesty?"

"Would you be so kind as to tell me how come I didn't know of this boy's presence until recently?" Xibalba managed to calm down to some extent, though his wings trembled with wrath and his hands clenched into fists when he looked down at the skeleton. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're supposed to inform me of how many souls arrive everyday, and to which lineage they belong, aren't you?"

"I-Indeed, My L-Lord…"

"Then you better explain me why the hell Juan Carlos Sánchez has been sneaking around without my knowledge before I have you skinned!"

Manuel would have fainted, but he feared that would make the dark god angrier, and struggled to stay awake. The other spirits grew fearful and stepped back. Carmelo and Luis were the first ones to regain consciousness, but Xibalba glared at them and dark vines sprouted from the ground and pinned them down to the ground to keep them from interfering, soon doing the same with Carlos and Jorge.

"Papá!" Marigold cried out in despair, but before she could run towards him Ponzoña wrapped around her ankles and prevented her from moving, giving her a warning look. "Leave them alone!"

"You don't have to worry about them, Marigold…" Xibalba hissed, not looking at her. "It's the boy who should be worrying right now." He glanced back at Manuel. "How did he die?"

"S-Suicide, Majesty."

Marigold's eyes widened in horror, while Camazok approached her to take her shoulders, trying to calm her down with no avail as Xibalba turned his head around to look at Juan Carlos with a dark look. "Suicide, huh?" he approached the guitarist with his hands behind his back. "Hasn't anyone told you what happens to suicides?"

This time, Juan Carlos stepped back warily when he saw the look on Xibalba's eyes, and felt a shiver down his spine when his red skull pupils rotated forward.

"I'm certain my brother will receive you warmly…" judging by his tone of voice, he was probably being sarcastic. Ponzoña unwrapped from around Marigold's feet and slithered towards his master. He allowed him to pick him up and change him back into his staff form. "Juan Carlos Sánchez, for the grave sin of suicide I banish you to the Land of the Cursed to atone for your fault for the rest of eternity!" He was about to stamp his staff to the ground to send the boy who had become a thorn on his side down to his brother's realm when in a blur of rose petals a figure stood in the way and held up his arm.

"No, papá!" Marigold pleaded at her father. "I will marry Camazok if that's what you both want, but please don't send Juan down there!"

Camazok couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You m-mean it?" he glanced at Juan Carlos's bewildered face, and felt sorry for the way he was being treated, but his attention was focused on the goddess he had come to love.

Marigold's gaze lowered and her eyes closed shut to contain her tears, her grip on her father's arm remaining firm. "I accept your proposal…" her wings lowered to the ground.

Xibalba stared down at his daughter with wide eyes, not believing she was willing to do this to spare the boy from his deserved fate. But when she started to sob, he softened a bit and lowered his arm. "Very well, my sweet. If you ask it of me, I will overlook it this once." His face-hardened yet again when he set his eyes on Juan Carlos. "I'm only sparing you because my daughter is asking me to. But this is my _final_ warning, boy, stay away from her or I will change my mind."

Juan Carlos looked at Marigold, who by then had released her father's arm and crossed her own, tucking her wings close to her body. "M-Marigold?"

She stiffened. "Leave." She simply told him through grit teeth, trembling.

That one single word severely broke his heart, but feeling Xibalba's glare unto him, and how he was just causing her more pain, Juan Carlos turned around and ran, out of the dining hall (ignoring his family's cries for him to wait), and out of the castle, to heaven knew where.

When she no longer felt Juan Carlos's presence in the room, Marigold could contain herself no longer and burst out in tears, embracing her father and sobbing into his chest. The Remembered felt compassion for her, they had never seen her cry like this; when Xibalba finally released the Sánchez family from the vines, they glanced sadly at Marigold before running out to look for Juan Carlos. Xibalba returned the hug and wrapped his wings around his child protectively, stroking her head with his hand.

"Shh, it's okay, _mi florecita_." He cooed.

Camazok warily approached his fellow gods, and stopped in his tracks when Xibalba turned to look at him, but his features had softened, contrasting the murderous look he had a few seconds ago. Xibalba lowered his wings a little so Camazok could place a hand on his daughter's shoulder gently; at first Marigold didn't react, but after a few seconds she turned to look at her friend… no, fiancée. For once, there was a great seriousness in his voice as he spoke.

"I will make you happy, I promise."


	17. Bitter Truth

_La Muerte was bedridden now, and now he was sure something was wrong. Over the past months that her pregnancy lasted, his beloved wife had gotten ill, but no one knew what was wrong with her. Luckily, it apparently didn't affect their child, but still he feared for both their wellbeings. If one saw La Muerte now, they would understand why Xibalba was so worried. Her lovely skin was becoming pale, her skin of sugar candy had always been white, but this was not the lovely paleness that characterized it, this was a sickly paleness that made everyone know she was growing weaker. Her eyes, although still full of life and joy, now expressed tiredness and exhaustion, like she could not even lift herself from bed. She looked thinner, though she hadn't lost any weight, maybe it was simply because the look in her eyes and her paleness played with everyone's mind and made them think she was getting skinny. Her dark waves of hair like strands of silk were now a bit of a mess of tangles at some places, and it spread out beneath her now that she couldn't stand up unless she needed to go to the bathroom._

_But even in this state, all that was in her mind was her child, and all day she'd rub the bump in her belly lovingly, humming a little lullaby for her unborn child. _

_When she started to cough a bit, Xibalba immediately went to her side and sat down next to her in bed. "La Muerte, are you certain you don't need anything?" he asked her, gently taking her hand. "Some tea, perhaps, or a bowl of hot soup?_

_"__I'm fine, Balby…" La Muerte replied, smiling tiredly at him, squeezing his hand to reassure him. "Don't worry…"_

_"__How can I not worry, __**mi corazón**__? You're ill, no one knows why nor the cause, and I'm afraid it will affect the baby." _

_"__Our little one is a strong little baby, Xibalba. Nothing will happen to her, I'm certain of it."_

_"__But-" he was hushed when she placed a finger on his lips. _

_"__I promise you, Balby, everything will be okay…" _

_When she coughed yet again, Xibalba rested next to her and pulled her closer, wrapping his wings around her to keep her warm. "Feeling better?" he whispered into her ear, before kissing her head. _

_"__Much better…" La Muerte giggled, snuggling deeply into her husband's warm embrace. _

_Xibalba recalls their childhood. How many times they had cuddled like this everytime there was a thunderstorm, and he'd comfort her and tell her everything would be alright. Or when he'd sneak into her room when she was too ill to get out of bed, and he'd keep her warm with his wings. He cherished those memories and held them close to his heart. He never understood how come La Muerte had chosen him as her lifetime partner among other, much better-looking gods, and yet he was thankful for it every single second of his life. _

_"__Balby…" La Muerte's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Could you promise me something?" _

_"__What is it, __**mi amor**__?" he asked gently, and blinked in confusion when his wife placed her hand on his cheek. _

_"__Take good care of our little angel…" she smiled, but it was sad and Xibalba didn't know why she was so overcome by this sadness. "Take her out to the garden when she can walk, and when she's older… find her someone she can love… just as I have loved you, __**mi vida**__." _

_He was confused as to why she grew sad all of sudden, but he smiled to reassure her. "I promise you, __**mi amor**__." _

_La Muerte took a hand to her bump when she felt a movement inside, a little kick. "She's kicking!" she whispered excitedly. _

_"__Let me see." Xibalba placed his large hand on her pregnant belly, but the baby had stopped moving. "Come on, my child. Kick for papi…" he slowly ran his hand over her bump, but he felt no movement inside. He was about to remove his hand in disappointment when suddenly he felt something rubbing at his palm. _

_A tiny hand. His baby was touching him. _

_"__La Muerte, do you…?" he was so excited that he didn't bother to finish the sentence, his attention instead set on his unborn child. _

_"__Yes." La Muerte nodded with a smile. "The baby is saying hi." _

_After a while, the little hand got bored and went to do something else._

* * *

One day didn't pass before every single god and goddess in Aztlan heard that Marigold had finally been proposed to by Camazok, and she accepted. There was an uproar among those who had failed to win Marigold's heart, they didn't understand what he had done that they didn't. What she saw in him that she failed to see in them. Overall, most of them wept (figuratively) their terrible luck. Tlaloc's daughters, in particular, were glad Marigold was finally going to be wedded, now they had a chance with Cabrakan and Camazotl, even though the both of them were not interested in them.

Soon after their engagement had been announced, Xibalba resumed his previously stalled wedding planning. He wanted to give his baby a dream wedding, a beautiful moment in her life she could remember fondly when she was older. He was still worried that Marigold claimed she still felt nothing but friendly affection towards her husband-to-be, but he hoped she would come to love him with time. Camazok was a good young man, he was certain he'd eventually win her heart.

The catering was done, he'd commissioned his daughter's favorite dishes and snacks, the Candlemaker had agreed to officiate the ceremony (unfortunately, Quetzalcóatl was too busy and wouldn't be able to do so), and the decorations were ready. The wedding would take place in the Land of the Remembered, and the reception in the ballroom. All that was left to check was the cake, the guest list (he'd definitely cross out the Sánchez family, though he might allow Carmen and the Adelitas to attend, just because they could be potential Maid of Honor and bridesmaids respectively), the music, the bouquet and the most important thing of all, the dress.

Xibalba knocked the door of his daughter's room for the fifth time that day.

"Now what?" Marigold replied from the other side of the door, a bit annoyed.

"Sweetie, I need your help with something." Xibalba chimed.

"What is it now?"

"It's something you have to see for yourself."

Marigold stopped fidgeting with her new engagement ring-a simple gold band, but it was the intention that mattered-and stood from bed to head towards the door. She opened it, and found her father was hiding something behind his back and he had a small smile drawn on his features. "What is it?"

"It's something I think you'll like!" Xibalba walked into the room, still hiding whatever he had brought for her behind. "You could call it my wedding gift."

She was not in the mood for his games, though she wasn't certain why she was in such an apathetic mood. However, he looked so excited she didn't have the heart to tell him that. "Gift?"

Still smiling, Xibalba brought the thing from behind his back and held it out for his daughter to see. She failed to contain her surprise as she stared at it with wide eyes. "Is that…?"

Xibalba nodded. "It's your mother's wedding gown."

Xochiquétzal had fixed it a bit from years of neglect, and made a few adjustments as well to fit the young goddess. The neckline was still sweetheart-shaped, and it was still strapless, but now it had a ball gown silhouette, natural waist style and cathedral train length. The organza flowers were gone, replaced with rich, sparkling crystal details. The neckline was accented with crystals, and the skirt featured soft pick-ups.

"I figured you'd want a piece of her with you…" Xibalba continued, looking down at the dress in yearning. "I asked Xochiquétzal to fix it especially for you." He grew worried when he noticed Marigold kept staring at the dress without saying anything. "You don't like it…?"

"It's not that, papá, it's just… mamá's dress? You could have simply asked Xochiquétzal to start another from scratch…"

"Come on, Marigold, it's your wedding we're talking about. You're the first bride-to-be I've met that is not excited about her own wedding!" When she didn't say anything, he knew he had said the wrong words. "Could you at least try it? For me? If you still don't like it I'll tell Xochiquétzal to make you another one."

Marigold thought for a moment, before sighing. "Okay." She gently took the dress from her father's grasp and went to her bathroom to get changed. A few minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom, making Xibalba nearly gape at the sight. She looked truly beautiful, he might even say more than her mother the day they got married. He couldn't believe it, that his beautiful young woman in front of him was the same gurgling baby he once lulled and cradled in his arms, the little girl he'd read all those fairytales to.

"You look astounding, my sweet…" the dark god smiled, approaching his daughter and placing his hands on her shoulders. "You'll be the most beautiful bride ever."

"T-Thanks, papá…" Marigold replied gently, looking down at the dress. "I admit, it's beautiful, I don't want to hurt Xochiquétzal's feelings."

"Glad you liked it, my sweet. I bet your mother would have loved it. Camazok will certainly be the most fortunate man to have you as a wife."

"_I guess_…" Marigold thought to herself, before doing her best to smile a bit. "I _can't_ wait…"

Xibalba apparently didn't catch on her sarcasm, and he was the king of sarcasm, according to some. "By the way, sweetie, about the cake, I was thinking it could be chocolate and vanilla, or strawberry. Those are your favorite flavors, what would you like?"

Marigold sighed, but nevertheless she answered. "I think chocolate and vanilla will be okay."

* * *

Camazok didn't know why he was doing this. Perhaps he simply wanted to have a civilized talk, and learn of the reason Lord Xibalba didn't like this human… no, that was an understatement, why he _hated_ this human so much. After asking around and managing to get a concrete answer from the Remembered, he finally found the Sánchez hacienda in the Land of the Remembered, and knocked the door.

"_Hola_?" he called out. "Anyone home?"

It took a while for someone to open the door, a woman with dark brown hair with a speck of white on it, wearing a black dress adorned with various colorful trims. Thankfully she didn't react like the other spirits, but she was surprised to see him there. "Excuse me, is this the Sánchez home?"

"Sí. Who asks?" Carmen inquired, looking up at the taller bat god.

"C-Camazok, señora."

"Oh, you're Marigold's fiancé?"

"Sort of, yes. I'm looking for… what was his name…? Carl… Juan…"

"Juan Carlos?"

"Yeah, that's it. I'm looking for Juan Carlos."

"For what purpose?"

"I just want to chat."

"I…. I'll tell him, but I can't promise you he'll want to talk with you. Please, come in."

Thanking Carmen, Camazok made his way inside (with some difficulty, due to his higher height), and sat down unto the couch, trying not to break anything with his wings. A few minutes later, Juan Carlos made his way into the living room. His hair was a mess, as well as his clothing, apparently he wasn't having a good time, and he didn't seem happy to see him either.

"What do _you_ want?" Juan Carlos asked with a hurt voice, his eyes glistening. "Are you going to mock at me because you got Marigold?"

"No, Juan Carlos. I'm not that kind of person." Camazok replied gently, crossing his arms. "I just came to talk to you."

"Does Xibalba know you are here?"

"No, he doesn't."

Juan Carlos hesitated, but he sat down in the couch across the one the bat god was using as a seat. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I figured out I could get to know you a bit and see why Marigold was willing to sacrifice so much for you. You look like a nice person, I don't get why Lord Xibalba has it so bad against you."

"Me neither. At first I just thought it was simply because he was naturally an overprotective dad, then I found out he and Marigold were gods, then I assumed he didn't like me because he considered me inferior, but now I guess I'll never know. How come he actually approved of you?"

Camazok sighed. "I'm not certain myself. He said Marigold liked me better than any of the other gods who tried to court her."

"She must like you more than she thought if she accepted your proposal…"

"No, Juan. I know that she only accepted to save you from being banished. I don't have anything against you for it."

"You love her?"

The bad god sighed sadly. "She's such a wonderful girl that she stole my heart in such a short time. I wouldn't want anything more than to make her happy." He turned to Juan Carlos. "And you?"

"With all my heart." Juan Carlos sighed sadly, looking down at the floor. "But I've lost her."

"You have not. Like I just said, she only likes me as a friend, she doesn't love me. Her heart already belongs to someone else, it belongs to you."

"Then why did you propose to her if you knew she didn't love you?"

"I was hoping that maybe with time I could win her heart, but I'm starting to doubt I ever will…"

Juan Carlos smiled. "You're truly a nice person, Camazok. I'm certain you wouldn't have trouble in earning the affections of a girl."

"Anyway, I wanted to propose you something."

"What?"

"When she chooses who she wants to be with, if she chooses you, I will call off the wedding, even if she tells me in the very day. If she chooses me, though I doubt it, I won't forbid you from seeing her, I know you're important to her."

"Thanks for the offer, but… I doubt I'll stand seeing Marigold with another. Don't take me wrong, I'd love nothing more than to see her happy, but… I just…"

"Don't worry, I know how it feels like…" Camazok sighed sadly. "I'd still like to see you as a friend, Juan. Not a rival. I've seen too many rivalries and they always end up destroying each other. So, friends?"

He thought for a moment, but after a while Juan Carlos smiled and shook the bat god's outstretched hand… err, claws.

* * *

"Candlemaker!"

The Candlemaker was surprised to see Zipacna emerging from the waterfall, before squeezing the water off his cloak and ruffling his feathers in discomfort.

"Why did it have to be waterfalls, damn it!" Zipacna growled at the cold sensation. "Couldn't you have made just normal doors?! I hate getting wet!"

"You could get an umbrella, you know." The Candlemaker shrugged. "Xochiquétzal makes pretty ones, you could ask her for one." The wax god grinned. "And you'd have an excuse to see her!"

Immediately, Zipacna blushed. "W-Well, it's t-true I have not s-seen her for a while, b-but…" he remembered why he was here. "Anyway, that's not the reason I'm here. Would you mind if I took a peek into the Book of Life?"

The Candlemaker grew serious at the request. "Why?"

"Something smells fishy here… And for once it's not the leftover anchovy pizza I had for breakfast. Xibalba has been acting strangely."

"Strangely? You mean about wanting Marigold to marry as soon as possible?"

"Exactly! Why did he change his mind out of sudden? I know him, he's not like that, he would never do something like this unless he's trying to cover up something…"

"Cover up?"

"You know, hide something."

"Wait a minute…" the Candlemaker thought for a moment, tapping on his chin. "When did you notice he started to act strangely?"

"Ever since when he won that wager he made with my _sobrina_…"

Both gods grew silent as realization dawned on them. No, he couldn't have! He wouldn't be capable... would he?

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the Candlemaker gulped. "If we are correct, Balby's in big trouble."

"Let's not jump to conclusions!" Zipacna snapped. "That's why I suggested looking in the Book of Life! Xibalba may lie, but Book can't. We'll know what really happened that day before everything went wrong."

The Book of Life had been listening to their conversation all the time. Indeed, it knew what had _truly_ happened, but it wasn't sure how they would take it. Still, it flew towards both gods and flipped its pages to Xibalba's Story. The Candlemaker flipped through the dark pages until he found the one they were looking for, and Zipacna walked closer to read.

As their eyes scanned the written truth, they widened in horror and shock.


	18. Losing You

The castle in the Land of the Remembered was beautifully decorated. The ceremony would take place in the throne room, the white-painted chairs were already set, and most of the guests were the other gods from Aztlan, but a few of the Remembered were also invited (like Xibalba had guessed, Carmen and the Sánchez twins were more than happy to be part of Marigold's wedding as Maid of Honor and bridesmaids). Meanwhile, tables had been placed in the ballroom, save for a wide space for the dancing, and to a side there was the snack table displaying not only the large wedding cake, but also various freshly-cooked dishes. Everyone

Camazok was already there, crossing his fingers that his brother wouldn't show up and commit nonsense, like he tended to do when he didn't get what he wanted. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, and for once his white hair was combed back, though his glasses remained on place on top of his nose, and his ears twitched nervously.

"Nervous?"

Camazok jumped at the new voice, but relaxed when he realized it was just the Candlemaker. "Sort of. I mean, I know she doesn't like me like that, but still I hope I can win her affection somehow…"

"By the way, where are you going to live?"

"Lord Xibalba insists that we can live in his castle, at least until we figure that detail out."

"Ay, Xibalba…" the Candlemaker sighed sadly, shaking his head. By now, he wouldn't be surprised if Zipacna was already down, for once chastising his younger brother for something. But that was not the only thing that worried him.

How would Marigold take it when she found out?

* * *

"OW!" Marigold yelped in pain when Regina accidentally pinched her scalp with the white rose brooch she was trying to properly accommodate in her hair. "Regina…!"

"Sorry, child, it's been so long ever since I fixed someone's hair…" Regina sighed, recalling when she once did the same for La Muerte in many occasions.

"Did you fix mama's hair when she and papá got married?"

"I'm afraid I didn't have that honor, but I did fix her hair for some other occasions, sometimes for their anniversaries when they went out to dinner."

Marigold took her hand to the gold locket around her neck. "I wish she were here…"

"She is, Marigold. As long as you remember her, she will always be with you."

"I know, but… that's the point, I don't remember anything about her."

A few seconds, later, Regina finished the last touches on the young goddess's hair. "There. Done. Take a look at it and tell me if you like it."

Marigold stood from bed, grabbing her bouquet, and took a look at herself in the mirror. The dress and matching white gloves looked especially radiant on her today, perhaps because of the occasion. Her hair had been fixed into a long, wavy side ponytail, with fresh white roses. Her bouquet consisted of a mixture of exotic flowers in different tones of pink; peonies, ranunculuses, parrot tulips, passion vine, romantic antlike roses, campanella roses, silver dollar eucalyptus, hydrangeas and orange thistles. She had little makeup, other than blusher. She looked truly beautiful.

But then, why was she not happy?

A knock on the door caught her attention. "May I come in?"

Marigold's feathers ruffled when she heard her father's voice. "Come in, papá."

Xibalba opened the door to take a peek inside, and for the second time he nearly gaped at how beautiful his child looked with that dress. He was so amazed he ignored Regina's excusing words as she left them alone for the moment. The dark god approached his daughter, his lips curving upwards into a smile.

"You look beautiful, _mi florecita_…" he whispered, gently touching her cheek with his hand. "You'll be the most beautiful bride ever."

"_Gracias_…" Marigold replied, trying her best to sound at least slightly excited, but failing to do so.

Luckily, Xibalba didn't seem to notice. "Your mother would be so proud of you. You're close to becoming a woman, _mi pequeña_…" his eyes swelled up with tears at the thought, but he blinked them away.

"Say, papá… Camazok and I won't be living here for much time, only while we figure out where we are going to live."

"You don't have to rush it, sweetie. You can stay here as long as you need it." He chuckled. "That way I'll get to meet my grandchildren."

Immediately, Marigold stepped back with a red face. "Papá!"

Xibalba chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm just kidding! Just let me solve a few more things and we'll go."

"Okay."

When her father left her alone for the moment, Marigold sighed and looked at herself in her mirror once again. He had touched a topic that made her think. Children? She never thought about _that_ detail. For that to happen she and Cam would have to… and she didn't feel ready for _it_ yet, _it_ was supposed to be an expression of the love a couple had for each other, she didn't feel that way for Camazok. He was a good guy, he would surely understand (and feel the same).

She heard her door opening. "What is it, papá-?" her eyes widened in shock when she saw not her father in the doorway, but another person she wasn't happy to see at all. Immediately, her shock turned to anger. "What are you doing here?! How did you get in?!"

Camazotl chuckled darkly. "I have my ways…"

"Get out of here or I'll scream and my father will come!"

"Your father? Do you really trust him that much? Have you not heard of his reputation?"

"I don't care what people say about him, he's nothing like they think he is?"

Chuckling, Camazotl turned into a shadow and teleported next to Marigold. "Oh, that's where you are wrong, dear Marigold. He's a liar and a cheater, that's a fat no one can deny. Even those friends of yours know it, your mother knew."

That caught her attention. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, so _now_ you pay attention. You don't know this, but your parents made a wager not long ago… it was before you were born. Your father was so desperate in escaping from this hellhole that he didn't mind cheating on the wager so he would get to rule the Land of the Remembered. And you can guess what that would mean for your mommy. I bet he hasn't told you why they once grew estranged, has he? Your mother left him because he cheated on her with her sister-!"

**SMACK!**

Camazotl couldn't continue as Marigold's palm came into contact with his cheek, leaving a red mark on his face. There was a fire burning in Marigold's eyes as she growled at the bat god with hate. "I'm not letting you talk about my father like that!"

"I'm just doing you a favor." Camazotl told her, all humor gone from his face. "I'm taking the blindfold off your eyes about your daddy. Ask him about it, he won't dare deny it."

"I don't need to ask him anything! I know he would never to do such a thing!"

Camazotl shook his head disappointingly. "Too bad you insist on being blind. But then again, I've done what I came to. After all, I wouldn't want to make you get late to your wedding, do I?" With those parting words, Camazotl left Marigold alone to swallow what he had just told her.

Marigold couldn't believe what she had just heard. She had no reason to believe what Camazotl just said, but it did made a bit of sense; Xibalba had never told her why he and her mother grew estranged, everytime she asked him he tried to avoid answering the question, as if it was something he didn't want her to know about. But cheating on her mother… that couldn't be the reason, could it?

That was it. She had to ask him about it, and she wouldn't accept an 'I don't want to talk about it' this time. Decided, Marigold walked out of her room and headed towards her father's study.

* * *

"XIBALBA!"

Said god nearly had a heart attack when out of sudden Zipacna teleported into his study in a blur of black feathers, his eyes were glowing a menacingly cold blue, his feathers were bristled and his teeth bared. For the first time ever, Zipacna was truly angry at _his brother_.

"Is something wrong, Zipacna? You look like one of your 'dates' stood you up." Xibalba retorted, for the moment leaving his remaining paperwork for later.

"How could you?!" Zipacna roared, flaring out his naked wings.

"First of all, calm down! Second, tell me what are you talking about, because I don't!"

"I know what you did to Marigold! I know you turned Ponzoña into a woman, the one she saw Juan Carlos kissing!"

Xibalba froze, his heart skipping a beat. "W-What…?" He did the first thing he thought of. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't lie to me! I saw it in the Book of Life! And we both know it doesn't lie!"

Realizing his secret was out, Xibalba got in the defensive. "I did what was best for her, that human wouldn't have brought her anything good!"

"You broke her heart! You destroyed her hopes and her dreams! And you dare to say you did it 'for her own good'?! You've done terrible things, Xibalba, but this is the lowest thing you have done!"

"Don't come here and tell me how to take care of my daughter!"

"Your _daughter_! You do realize the pain you caused her, don't you?! What is she going to think when she finds out?!"

"She's not finding out about this." Xibalba hissed, his teeth turning into fangs, teleporting in front of his older brother and glaring at him.

"Oh, and how are you going to stop it? It's inevitable. I know what you did, the Candlemaker knows it, what makes you think neither of us will tell her that you cheated in your wager?" Zipacna retorted.

"He _what_?"

Both gods froze in place when they heard a feminine voice from the doorway. With their hearts in their throats, they turned towards the door and saw Marigold standing there, her eyes wide in complete disbelief and shock, but overall hurt. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. This had to be a misunderstanding! Her father would never to this to her!

"M-Marigold…!" Xibalba was frozen in horror. She had heard it. "I…"

"Either you tell her, or I will, Xibalba." Zipacna told his brother grimly, for once all humor gone from his voice.

"Tell me _what_?" Marigold insisted, taking a step towards her father, refusing to believe it yet. She wanted to hear it from her father's lips.

Xibalba looked away from his daughter and crossed his arms, an expression full of regret and hesitance on his face.

"Tell me _what_?!"

Finally, he couldn't hide it anymore. It was over. The secret was out. "I…" Still, his voice was hoarse and broken. At long last, he let out a sigh of defeat. "I turned Ponzoña into a woman and sent him to kiss the human when you were going to see him."

To say Marigold was shocked and horrified would have been an understatement. Ponzoña could sense a dark aura coming from her, and immediately slithered underneath Xibalba's desk to hide from her wrath. Those words had been like a bucket of cold water to her, as her eyes swelled up with tears of disbelief, hurt and anger. Zipacna sensed the upcoming fight was between Xibalba and his daughter, so he chose not to intervene.

"You're on your own, _hermano_." With this, the older god turned into a crow and flew out of the room. Someone had to tell everyone in the 'upper floor' that the wedding would probably be postponed.

Father and daughter were left alone.

"Marigold, let me explain-!" Xibalba tried to touch his daughter, but she stepped away from him.

"Y-You cheated?" Marigold's voice was shaking with disappointment and a sorrowful rage as her feathers bristled and she clenched her fists. "Y-You lied to me?! You…!" She couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Sweetie, it's not what you think-!"

"HOW COULD YOU?!" the yell she let out nearly sent him flying backwards, and he had to shield himself with his wings in case it happened. Hot tears were gathering in Marigold's eyes. "

Xibalba finally gathered the courage to stand his ground as he frowned at his daughter, his hands behind his back. "I did what needed to be done."

"And you had the cynicism to act like you cared! I cried for him thinking he betrayed me when the one who betrayed me was you! My own father!"

"I do what I must to keep you from making the wrong choices. That human wasn't going to bring you any good."

"Stop with that nonsense! All you wanted was to get away with it! Like you did with mamá!"

Xibalba's eyes widened in shock. "Y-You know?" He had done all in his power to prevent her from knowing about the wager he and La Muerte had made before she was born. He hadn't wanted her to know of his dark side.

"I know everything! I know you made a wager with her, and you _cheated_! You sent her down here and you didn't care, you just wanted to take control of the Land of the Remembered!"

"Of course I cared, she was the one who didn't!" Xibalba snapped, an old wound in his heart reopening, expressing his anguish and pain. "She left me here to rot all alone!"

"Why do you think is that?! You cheated ON her! You were unfaithful to her, with her own SISTER! You didn't stop saying that you loved her more than anything, and then the next second you were wooing with her sister! You call that love?!

"Your aunt was a deceitful, she tricked me! I know I screwed it up, but did your mother ever visit or even write?! She didn't!" By then, his voice was shaking with sorrow and pain. "I wrote her countless letters, I called out for her, but she never replied! For eons I was left here to listen to the pained screams and agonizing wails of the Forgotten as they deteriorated into dust while she enjoyed the endless _fiesta_ in the Land of the Remembered! The only day I saw her was in the Day of the Dead, and even then she was cold and distant with me!"

"That didn't give you the right to do this to me! I admired you, I loved you, but all you've shown me about you is that you're a liar! You didn't care to hurt me like this just to get away with it! How do I know you even care about me at all?!"

Every single word hurt him deeply. The next words he said out of pained anger he would regret for the rest of his life. "IF I DIDN'T I WOULD HAVE THROWN YOU INTO THE LAVA WHEN YOU WERE AN INFANT!"

Marigold stepped back with wide eyes and shrunk pupils, the tears finally streaming down her cheeks like rivers. So this is how he truly felt about her…? When Xibalba saw her heartbroken expression he realized what he had just said, and he gasped in horror. No, he didn't mean it!

He tried to hold her by the shoulders. "M-Marigold, I d-didn't mean…!" But as soon as he touched her, she exploded in a sorrowful wrath and pushed him away with all her might.

"_TE ODIO_!"

When he heard those two horrible words, it severely broke his heart. The dark god froze in place, watching as his daughter flew out of the room, slamming the door shut. It took him a while to process what just happened; his beloved daughter, his flesh and blood, his baby screamed at him, told him that she hated him, disowned him as her father. The boy's words echoed in his head.

_If you keep fighting her about this she'll end up hating you._

Finally he couldn't take it any more. Xibalba let out a scream of anguish and pain as he collapsed unto his knees and dug his claws unto the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks and falling unto his carpet. The pain he felt when he lost his wife was nothing compared to this pain.

The pain of having lost his daughter.

* * *

Marigold flew into her room and slammed the doors shut, before collapsing against the door, her back sliding down as she cried her eyes out, sobbing nonstop. When she was on the ground she hugged her knees and wrapped her wings around her body. Her makeup would ruin, but she didn't care about it now. She was so angry, but overall brokenhearted. She hadn't wanted to believe it, she still couldn't believe her own father, the one person she thought would never betray her, had done just that. She felt like she was suffocating, like her heart had shattered in a million pieces.

Juan Carlos had told her the truth. He was innocent. And she foolishly chose to believe her father, that humans only caused pain, when she should have listened to her heart. Now it was too late, he must hate her, and she didn't want to hurt Camazok like this. She just didn't know what to do.

_"__Why the long face, dear child?_"

Marigold gasped in shock when she heard the same voice from a few months ago. "W-Who are you?!"

The voice chuckled. "_Let's just say I'm an old friend._"

"B-But I d-don't even know you."

"_Ah, but I do know you. I've known you ever since you came into the world._"

Marigold was definitely not in the mood for stupid taunting words. "What do you want?!"

"_I just saw what happened with your father. I'm sorry._"

"Don't talk to me about him! I don't want to see him, nor hear from him!"

"_It hurts, right? The betrayal. How you put your trust in him, and he broke it like a twig. He didn't think about your happiness, he thought only of himself. He killed your dreams and hopes like they didn't matter to him."_ The voice grew smooth and sly, with an almost hypnotic-like resonance. "_I can make the pain stop._"

"W-What…?"

"_Trust me, and I'll end your suffering, dear child._"

Marigold didn't know what to say. Heck, she didn't even know who she was talking to! She felt a dark aura inside the room, an aura that sent shivers down her spine, with this feeling of dejá vu, like she had experienced this before. Lifting her gaze to see who was her strange 'friend', and looked directly into the glowing yellow eyes of a great shadow.

Víbora took advantage the girl was broken to make his master move. Her frail emotional condition made it easier to manipulate her mind; as he used his hypnotic powers, Marigold's pupils turned a shade of sickly yellow, and she lost consciousness and control of her actions. Víbora hissed a few words into her ear, and she slowly stood up from her fetal position, opening the door and walking out of the room like a zombie.

She walked through the halls of the castle like a lost soul, her eyes empty and glowing, making her way to the throne room, ignoring the lizards' attempts to ask her how she was. The only entrance to The Pit was in Xibalba's throne room, and only a member of his lineage could open the entryway. When she was in front of the throne, atop the great carving of a winged lava serpent on the floor. Marigold muttered spell words under her breath, and released a green haze from her hands that floated down into the carved symbols.

She stepped back as the carvings glowed green, and the floor descended in the shape of a descending spiral staircase. Marigold walked down the stairs, into the dark cold prison where the violent, wicked souls resided. Angry roars came from the cells as the monsters –the evil Forgotten who lost both their sanity and humanity long ago-tried to lunge at her form within their confinements, the rattling of their unbreakable chains echoing in the darkness.

Chakal realized the time had come for the plan to come into action when a goddess with an empty expression and glowing yellow eyes stopped right in front of his cell, Víbora not far behind her, his eyes glowing a similar yellow tone.

"What took you so long?" the former Bandit King snapped at the shadow.

"Sorry, I was watching quite an… amusing spectacle." Víbora chuckled cruelly, before whispering into Marigold's ear. "Open the door for me."

Without another word, the goddess lifted her hand towards the lock and it glowed golden. The rusty metal gave way as the cell unlocked, and Chakal's bindings fell to the ground. the spirit stared at his recently-released claws as the marks of the shackles healed in a question of seconds. "Not bad."

"And now, for the next step." Víbora snapped his tail, and broke Marigold out of his mind control.

Marigold felt her head was aching and her vision was cloudy; she stumbled a bit before regaining her balance and trembling from the sudden cold air. Soon she realized she was not in her room, and but the worst came when she realized where she actually was, and when she spotted the menacing spirit in front of her walking towards her with an insane grin.

* * *

_Mi Balby….Take good care of our __**pequeña**__, would you?_

Those words had been engraved in his heart ever since his darling La Muerte passed away, when she pleaded him to take care of their beloved daughter. He made her a promise, he promised her he would take good care of their baby no matter what.

And look at what had happened. Marigold hated him, all for trying to impose what he wanted for her, what he thought was best for her, when all he did was to break her heart, not once, but twice. What kind of father was he? He cursed the moment those horrible words left his mouth, the moment he decided to cheat on his wager with Marigold.

Reluctantly, Xibalba knocked the door to his daughter's room. "M-Marigold?" There was no reply. "Sweetie, let's talk." He was willing to do anything for her to forgive him, or at least listen what he had to say. He was willing to call off the wedding and never interfere with her life again, but he wanted her forgiveness overall. His eyes were bloodshot from the tears of regret and sorrow.

Suddenly, there was a temblor that shook the entire castle. Alarmed, Xibalba knows where it came from. It couldn't be! The entrance to The Pit couldn't be opened from the inside, unless…

"MARIGOLD!"

With a flap of his wings he took off towards the throne room, praying with all his might it hadn't happened. She couldn't have opened the doorway, could she? What if something happened to her? As he burst the doors open and landed into the throne room, his worst fears seemed to have materialized in front of him. Víbora's shadows stared at him with a malicious, cruel grin, Chakal next to him, but what nearly made it was the wiggling, terrified figure of a young goddess being held captive in the spirit's large clawed hand.

"Xibalba, how fortunate of you to join us!" Víbora's shadow boasted, licking his pair of shadowy fangs tauntingly.

"MARIGOLD!" Xibalba tried to step closer, but froze when Chakal tightened his grip on Marigold, making her whimper in pain, and lifting up his other hand so that the tip of his claw was touching her cheek.

"Not another step." He growled deep within his throat. "Or I'll slice her throat."

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Xibalba hissed at the spirit. Even in this situation, he refused to be intimidated, even though on the inside he was freaking out about his daughter.

"I told you, Xibalba, that you would make a mistake sooner or later, and I would be there." Víbora couldn't be happier to see the expression on Xibalba's face. "You have no idea of how much time I waited for this moment."

"P-Papá!" Marigold tried in vain to free herself from Chakal's grasp, but he only tightened his grip on her.

"Just…" Xibalba tightened his fists, anger overcoming him. "…What do you want from me, Víbora? My crown? The Land of the Remembered? I will give you anything, just don't hurt my daughter!"

"Not so fast, Xibalba. I do not want your crown nor that realm, what use would I have for them?" Víbora chuckled darkly. "Oh, no, what I want from you in exchange for your precious daughter's life is something… smaller."

Snickering, Chakal threw something at Xibalba's feet. A scroll.

"Those are our demands." The Bandit King growled. "If you comply, we might let your daughter live." Chakal pressed the tip of his claw against Marigold's cheek, making her whimper in fear and pain. "You wouldn't like to see her bleed, do you?"

"NO!" Xibalba cried out in horror. Warily, he bent down and picked the scroll to unfold it and read it; his eyes widened in horror as he looked up at Víbora. "Are you insane?! I can't give you this!"

Víbora and Chakal laughed tauntingly. "Don't worry, we'll give you time to think what matters the most to you." The shadowy Basilisk hissed. "Your daughter, or your duty. You have until tomorrow midnight to decide. In case you decide to comply, you know where to find us."

Marigold grew terrified when Víbora's eyes glowed orange, and he spat a blinding black fog. "PAPÁ!"

At the sound of his daughter's cry, Xibalba flew forward. "MARIGOLD!" he tried in desperation to grab her hand, but his hand closed into thin air as the fog dissipated, and he found himself alone once again.

They were gone.


	19. Betrayal

_He had been peacefully reading a book on his rocking chair when a thunder clapped outside; naturally, it frightened Marigold and she started to cry. Placing his book aside, Xibalba stood up from the rocking chair and silently glided towards the cradle to check on his beloved daughter. The little one was wailing at full volume, wiggling in bed, tiny tears rolling down her cheeks. __**Pobrecita**__._

_"__Shhh."Xibalba carefully picked her up and held her against his chest, bouncing her in his arms and stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Sh-sh-sh. __**Ya no llores, mi florecita. Papá esta aquí**__." When his finger gingerly brushed the palm of her hand, she felt the faint movement and closed her tiny fingers around it, still sobbing. Xibalba smiled down at her and gently shifted her blanket, talking sweetly to her and playing with her fingers. Soon, however, more thunders clapped, and Marigold started to cry once again, wiggling in her father's embrace. _

_"__It's okay, sweetie, don't be afraid." Xibalba cooed at her once more, wrapping his wings around Marigold and covering her with a piece of his bathrobe. "You're with me, I won't let anything hurt you, __**mi pequeñita**__." _

_For her, his arms were-would always be-the safest place in the entire world. Marigold started hiccupping as she nuzzled against her father's chest, seeking his warmth and to hear the sound of his heartbeat, but she sobbed and wiggled everytime she heard thunder clapping. Xibalba realized he'd have to sing a lullaby for her, otherwise she wouldn't calm down. _

**_Baby, please rest your head_**

**_Now it is time for bed_**

**_I'll protect you like no other_**

**_You're okay for a little baby_**

_Marigold's cries diminished a bit when she heard her father singing, and he started to rock her back and forth in his arms gently. _

**_Twinkle, twinkle, how time flies_**

**_Slowly in the starry sky!_**

**_Baby please close your eyes_**

**_You're as sweet as apple pies_**

**_As you grow and love and play _**

**_In my heart you'll always stay _**

**_So sleep and dream the night away_**

_Xibalba smiled when Marigold yawned and rested her head against his chest. He wiped her remaining tears with his thumb tenderly. _

**_Baby please rest your head_**

**_Someday you'll leave the nest_**

**_Until then I'll love you like no other_**

**_You're okay for my little baby. _**

_Marigold's little eyes were looking up at her father drowsily as the lullaby came to an end, but she held up her little arms to him, giggling a bit. Planting a kiss on her little forehead, Xibalba gently placed her back on the cradle and tucked her in warmly, tickling her nose gingerly. _

_"__**Que sueñes con los angelitos**__."_

* * *

Once the shadowy energy dissipated, Marigold realized they were still in the Land of the Forgotten, but she could tell it was one of the deeper parts from the realm, a part she had never seen. She wiggled in Chakal's large hand, but she couldn't free himself, she whimpered in pain when the bandit king squeezed her tightly.

"I would stop resisting if I were you, brat." Chakal growled like an animal. "You are at our mercy."

"Let me go!" Marigold screamed, forgetting all about her hair and dress, what she wanted was to escape from Chakal and the shadow. "What do you want from me?!"

"Oh, no, dear child, it's not what _we_ want with _you_." Víbora's shadow hissed with a smirk. "It's what _I_ want with your _father_."

There was the sound of wings flapping. Marigold hoped it was her father coming to rescue her, but she listened more carefully to the sound and realized it was not the same as her father's wing flapping.

"So, did it work?"

That voice… Marigold turned around towards the person who had spoken, and her heart drummed inside her chest as her pupils shrunk in disbelief and shock. "Camazotl?!"

The older bat god chuckled as he landed a few steps away. "Well, well, what do we have here?"

"You are with them?!"

"Surprise, surprise." Víbora chuckled once again. "Well, gentlemen, I wouldn't want to rush you or anything, but I believe we had an agreement." With that, the shadow vanished.

"Let's get this over with so that we may go straight to business, you brute." Camazotl snapped at Chakal, despite the fact that the bandit was much more larger than him.

"I take orders from no one." Chakal growled.

Marigold didn't care what they were talking about, her attention was focused on the iron-fortified, obsidian jail a few steps away from them. The gates had carvings of serpents and dragons, and two dragon statues were placed just outside, as if they were guarding the prisoner and its prison. It gave her chills. Camazotl approached the doors and slammed his hand on them, a blinding energy breaking the seals that kept the doors closed shut and bursting them open. "This way."

When they stepped inside, the inside of the prison was no better than the outside. Immediately, green torches flared up and the green light reflected on the obsidian walls, giving the room an eerie atmosphere. Marigold started to tremble in fear, she wished she could take her hand to her mother's pendant, it always made her feel safe. As soon as the room was lit, the prisoner of the dark jail stirred, his giant scaly shape moving under thick chains of the strongest iron. His red scales turned copperish under the green light, and dark eyelids cracked open, revealing yellow serpentine eyes, which sent chills down Marigold's spine. Heck, even Chakal and Camazotl seemed to be uneasy in the Basilisk's actual presence.

"About time." Víbora hissed, shifting under his bindings. "How about you break me free? I've been waiting for this for eons."

Camazotl charged up a fireball in both his hands, and fired it at the chains pinning Víbora to the ground. Metal crunched as the chains melted away, and Víbora's large frame started to rise, snapping the rest of the chains broken, the marks and burns of the chains on his skin healing in a few seconds.

Víbora was free.

"Ah! So much better now!" the snake slithered around, yawning. "It was getting really boring in here."

"We fulfilled our part of the deal, serpent!" Chakal snapped. "Now it's time you fulfill yours!"

"Patience, dear friends. I'm certain Xibalba must be making his way here, once he delivers our demands we can go to the Land of the Living to execute our plans." His eyes set on Marigold. "Until then, we better keep our 'guest' as comfortable as possible."

"What do you want from my father?!" Marigold yelled at Víbora.

"Oh, right, you don't know who I am." The Basilisk chuckled cruelly, before slithering close to Marigold to look into her eyes. "Don't you remember me? I've already told you, I've known you ever since you came into the world. Don't you recall our first meeting? You were just a baby…"

Marigold froze when she saw into Víbora's eyes, which glowed orange for a brief moment. That voice… that gaze… a bell rang in the back of her subconscious, as she remembered where she had seen this snake, or rather his shadow. She faintly recalled being in her cradle, then feeling Víbora's shadow just above her with a threatening stance, and a commotion before feeling her father taking her into his arms protectively.

"Remember it now?" Víbora hissed smoothly.

She didn't reply. She was too afraid of him to say anything, once she realized he had tried to kill her when she was just an infant. Not for the first time, she feared for her life.

* * *

"Calm down, man!"

"CALM DOWN?! MY DAUGHTER IS IN VÍBORA'S CLAWS, CHAKAL ESCAPED AND YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN?!"

"Getting all panicky and freaking out won't solve anything!"

Xibalba wanted to strangle the Candlemaker, but right now his daughter was the only thing that concerned him. As soon as Marigold had been taken, he had wanted to take Víbora what he had asked for in exchange for her life, but Zipacna had already returned and barely managed to keep him from doing so upon learning what the demands were. Immediately, there was an emergency meeting in Aztlan.

"What are we going to do?!" Xochiquétzal stated. "We can't just stand here with crossed arms."

"We cannot give Víbora what he is asking for!" Tláloc retorted. "We don't know what he wants to do with it, nor the consequences it might bring!"

"Judging what his other demands are, it's not that hard to deduce it." Tohil said.

"Excuse me…" Camazok timidly raised his hand, though he was as much concerned for Marigold as everyone else. "I wouldn't like to interrupt, but… Who is Víbora? And what did he demand in exchange for Marigold?"

Silence.

"Oh, of course, you don't know about it, _chico_." Zipacna sighed. "Want the short version or the long one?"

"Zipacna!" Tezcatlipoca snapped at the caiman head.

"What?"

Xibalba didn't look at Camazok as he spoke in a grave voice. "Víbora is a Basilisk, the last of his kind. He was once my wife's friend when we were children, but when we grew up La Muerte and I fell in love. Víbora never forgave me for that, a few days before the wedding he…" he was reluctant to continue.

"He what?" Camazok inquired. Zipacna motioned him to come closer, and whispered something into his ear. Camazok's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no…"

Xibalba nodded. "I imprisoned him in the Land of the Forgotten for that act. We didn't see him again after that for centuries, until recently, as you can see." There was bitterness and hate in his voice.

"What did he ask for?"

Quetzalcóatl closed his eyes. "The Book of Death, The Medal of Everlasting Life, and La Muerte's body."

"What?! Why would he want those things?!"

"The medal is for Chakal, that's for certain." The Candlemaker said. "As for the Book of Death and La Muerte's body, we have our suspicions."

"Have you heard of what that book contains, boy?" Xibalba finally turned to Camazok, his eyes grim.

Camazok thought for a moment, before he recalled something he had heard his father say when he talked about the Book of Death. "Dark magic."

"Now connect the dots." Zipacna said.

"We have no time for this!" Xibalba yelled, turning around and flaring out his wings. "My daughter is in danger and we're just standing here without doing anything!"

"Lord Xibalba, I understand your concern, but we cannot give Víbora the Book of Death! If he casts any of those forbidden spells it will affect the Balance!" Quetzalcoatl snapped calmly.

"You're telling me to sacrifice my own child?!"

"Xibalba, we understand you are worried, but we have to think!" Toci stated.

"I agree, there must be a way to rescue Marigold without giving up the Book of Death!" Ehécatl added

"If we try anything, they'll kill her! Don't you understand?! She's all I have, if I lose her I won't be able to live with it!"

"Xibalba, listen, we'll save her but we can't just give Víbora those things!"

Realizing he wouldn't get anywhere with this, Xibalba let out a yell of frustration, anger and pain and stormed off, clenching his fists. They didn't understand, he had to save Marigold, no matter the cost; he didn't care if he lost his crown because of this, if he could have his baby back safe and sound. He had to ask for her forgiveness, make up for what he did to her.

"My Lord!" Camazok went after him with a worried expression. "Where are you going?!"

Xibalba continued on his way, without looking back. "I'm going to save my daughter."

* * *

Marigold tried in vain to release her hands and arms from her bindings, her whimpers and growls of pain muffled by the smelly, dirty rag in her mouth. Her wings and legs were tied up too, she had been locked up in one of the small cells at the sides of the prison, probably to wait until her father came. He would come. She knew it. Out of sudden she didn't care that he had cheated anymore, she just wanted to hug him and feel his protective embrace again, like when she was a baby and she'd cry just to have him pick her up, or when she was a child and she'd run to his embrace when she got hurt.

The door to her cell creaked open, and she instinctively tried to shift away, fearing Víbora or Chakal were coming to torture her, but it was much worse.

"_Hola_, Marigold." Camazotl chuckled, licking his chops as he closed the door silently behind him. "How are you doing?"

Even though she was in clear disadvantage, she still had her mother's strength running through her veins, and the young goddess was far from being intimidated. She glared up at the bat god with fire in her eyes.

"You know, I have to admit, I never thought I'd see you in this position." Camazotl still approached her, examining her curves. "That dress looks pretty on you. Too bad you had to wear it for my pathetic brother, not me."

"Mmph!" Marigold muffled her reply, in part because of the gag.

"Oh, no, don't worry about him. You won't have to worry about him any longer." Camazotl sat down next to her casually, his wings stretching out, despite Marigold's attempts to get away from him. "Besides, I'm such a better choice than him, don't you think?" his clawed hands grabbed Marigold by the neck, pulling her closer to sniff her hair. "Ah, even now you still smell of flowers."

"Lt gph ph mph!" Marigold growled through the gag, though her words were muffled and incomprehensible.

"You better change your attitude, _preciosa_. We'll be spending some time together, considering Víbora put me in charge of watching over you."

Oh, how she wished she could speak so she could retort, but she started to tremble when out of sudden Camazotl's gaze turned hungry and lustful. Her suspicions to what he was going to do were confirmed when he started kissing her neck, but she couldn't do anything other than scream in disgust and horror.

"I finally have the chance to taste you, now that your 'daddy' is not around." Camazotl whispered, his hand finding its way to Marigold's leg as his lips and tongue tasted her sugar, moving down from her neck to between her breasts, making her scream in horror and fear. Instinctively, Marigold kicked her assailant in the groin with her knee, making him yelp in pain, but she was not prepared for the slap he gave her for it. Camazotl's large hand left a mark on her cheek.

"You'll learn to respect me, _mujer_. I've been waiting for this moment, and you won't ruin it." Camazotl snapped, his hand finding its way to her neck, and stroking one of Marigold's breasts, licking the sugar from his lips. "You know, I understand Xibalba a little better. If his wife was made of the same thing as you, I can see why he loved her like mad; you are _soo_ sweet…"

Camazotl placed his lips on Marigold's neck once more, his tongue inspecting her sugar skin. Marigold couldn't move, she was terrified and the gag prevented her from calling out for help, she could only close her eyes. Camazotl closed them too, enjoying the taste and the sensation. Tired of the neck, his claws ripped the neckline of the dress, exposing one of Marigold's breasts, and he started to lick it intently like a child nursing from his mother. She tasted like sugar.

Marigold screamed in pain when she felt Camazotl suckling from her nipple though it had no milk, inspecting every part of her body. The bat god started to play with her unexposed parts, sliding his hands unto her dress and caressing her belly and back, feeling the softness of her pale skin. He lost his mind, no longer thought, all he thought about was making this goddess his. He couldn't contain it, his body was burning in lust.

Marigold sobbed when she felt Camazotl's hands ripping the skirt of her dress, she couldn't do anything as a tear ran down her cheek.

_Stop._

Suddenly, Camazotl was violently pulled away and thrown against the wall. Víbora slithered in front of Marigold with unsheathed fangs, his eyes glowing orange. "You fool!" he roared. "I need her pure!"

"Pure?!" Camazotl stood up, snapping his fangs and flaring out his wings. "You said that if I cooperated she would be mine!"

"Indeed I said that." Víbora snapped. "But I'm afraid there's a complication with what you want to do with her."

"Complication? What complication?"

Camazotl couldn't do anything as Víbora wrapped around him in the blink of an eye, squeezing him tightly. The bat god cried out in pain and tried desperately to take in the precious oxygen, but the basilisk tightened his hold on him. Marigold's eyes widened in horror.

"You see, it turns out I need her alive, with her virginity and all…" Víbora hissed into Camazotl's ear. "If I let you deflower her, all my plans will ruin. Besides…" Víbora chuckled cruelly, a laugh full of hate and dementia. "It's been so long since I had a decent snack."

Marigold's eyes widened when she realized what he was going to do. She closed her eyes shut and looked away, but she could not cover her ears as she heard Camazotl's screams when Víbora devoured him. The goddess trembled, her wings were shaking in fear, hurt by the ropes tying them together. She only heard as Camazotl was devoured, but even though she didn't see it, hearing it was much worse. Then she heard the sound of bones snapping and flesh enlarging.

Until everything was silent again.

"You can open your eyes now, dear child. The scene is over."

Marigold still did not open her eyes. She didn't want to see what had just happened; the gag muffled her sobs, but she couldn't do anything as she felt Víbora's claws-wait, claws? He was a snake, he didn't have any claws nor hands, she had not seen any-gently grab her chin and turn her head and lift it so he could examine her.

"You are so much like your mother…" Víbora whispered at her, there was a mixture of sweetness and hate in his voice. "The same face, the same hair, the same spirit… too bad Xibalba had to be your father, otherwise I would have maybe liked you to some extent. He has never mentioned me, has he? I bet you didn't even know I existed."

Her heart was drumming, nearly bursting out of her chest.

"Oh, no, don't worry, _querida niña_. I've got plans for you, since you killed your mother when you came into the world, it's time you return the favor."

"Snake!" now she heard Chakal's voice calling out for Víbora. "The brat's father is here!"

Marigold snapped her eyes open, and there was a glint of hope in her heart. Her father would save her, she was certain of it. But her terror grew when she saw that Víbora's body had changed.

Outside the gates of the jail, Chakal watched warily as the dark god from before arrived mounted on a pitch-black horse, holding a large bundle on the horse's saddle with one arm, the other hand controlling the reins.

Xibalba gently pulled the reins to halt Medianoche to a stop, though careful not to drop the bundle. Even in this circumstances, he was very tender and careful when he handled it. Medianoche stomped his hooves uncertainly, snorting and bending back his ears, but he was too much anxious and afraid for his daughter's life to comfort his steed.

"Where is Víbora?" he asked the Bandit King with an angry voice.

"I'm right here, Xibalba." Víbora chimed from within the long-abandoned prison, his golden eyes glowing in the dark. "Did you bring what we asked you?"

"Where's my daughter?"

"Patience, dear friend. All in due time. First show me that you brought everything."

"I won't until I see she's safe and unharmed."

Víbora rolled his eyes. "Really, _Balby_, you are as stubborn as always. But okay, if you want to see her so badly, fine for me. That way I'll get to show you my new, improved form." When the basilisk stepped out of the darkness, Xibalba's pupils shrunk as he stared at the monster in shock.

Víbora had grown legs and arms, though now he was a quadruped, just like the Asian dragons in books. Two large, naked bat wings were folded upon his back and a thick mane of black and red hair ran down his head, neck and down his snake-like body. Two bat ears had grown just next to his horns, which augmented his hearing sense. Medianoche neighed and tried to step back, but Xibalba pulled the reins and made him stay in place.

"What have you done…?!"

"Nothing, really. I just had a snack." Víbora licked his chops. "Though I must say, that overgrown bat was quite hard to swallow."

Xibalba grit his teeth and his hold on the reins. "Where's Marigold?!"

"Okay, okay you can stop yelling." Víbora's tail reached out in the darkness, and it brought a delicate, light-skinned figure from the dark, holding her out in the air. When Marigold spotted her father, she tried to call out for him, but she was still gagged. Xibalba nearly had a heart attack when he saw the state his daughter was in. Her hair was all undone and tangled, her wedding dress was ripped and exposing one of her breasts, and there was a red mark on her cheek. His blood started to boil.

"Did you dare to touch her, you-?!"

"You seem to forget who's in advantage here. She is safe, sound, and _not_ deflowered, so you can keep calm about it. Now it's your turn, hand over what we asked for, or I'll change my mind."

Reluctantly, Xibalba dismounted, carefully lifting the bundle from the saddle, it looked heavy as he carried it over to a few steps away from Víbora; he was reluctant to part with his beloved wife's body, but it was for his daughter's sake. The dark god placed La Muerte's covered body on the ground and stepped back giving Víbora a look full of hate.

"Okay, we can cross out Muertita's remains from the list. Now two more things."

Xibalba started to tremble with ire, but nevertheless he grabbed a large satchel from within Medianoche's saddlebag, and threw it to Chakal's feet. The spirit picked it up and opened it to make sure the medal and the book were there, and he nodded at Víbora.

"Now, see, it was not that hard, was it?" Víbora chuckled, picking up La Muerte's body with a paw tenderly.

"I've given you what you want! Now give me my daughter!" Xibalba snapped, he really was not in the mood for Víbora's games.

"I would like to do that, Xibalba, I really do… But unfortunately, I still have some pending business with her."

Before Xibalba knew it, he felt something stab him on the side. Marigold watched in horror as Chakal had thrown her father a dagger coated in a black liquid, and her eyes swelled up with tears. Xibalba fell on his knees, spitting blood unto the floor, the pain on his side was excruciating, but he soon realized that the blade was poisoned when his blood started to run cold and his heartbeats accelerated.

"I want you to die knowing you lost everything you cared about." He heard Víbora say. "I want you to suffer like I have suffered, knowing your daughter should have been mine."

Marigold let out muffled screams and wails, struggling in vain to free herself from Víbora's tail.

Medianoche neighed loudly in alarm when his master collapsed and bent down his neck to nuzzle him worriedly, but Xibalba couldn't react. Still, he managed to lift his gaze one more time to see Marigold's teary ones, looking down at him in regret and pain just as Víbora extended out his wings.

"_Adios_, Xibalba."

The last thing he knew, he tried to reach out for his child as they disappeared in a flash, tears gathering in his eyes, before everything went black.


	20. The Decision

"What happened?!"

"Apparently something happened to Princess Marigold!"

"Is she alright?!"

"No one knows! I heard she was taken, but we don't know who could have done such a thing!"

"Where is Lord Xibalba?!"

"His brother brought him a while ago, he was very grave! Apparently someone stabbed him with a poisoned blade when he tried to save Marigold!"

When Juan Carlos heard Marigold was apparently in danger, he immediately ran towards the castle, despite the guards telling him he couldn't go in (apparently Xibalba had ordered them not to let him in if he came, thinking he would try to stop the wedding) and looked for Camazok. He found the bat god outside one of the rooms, the one where Xibalba was being treated, accompanying Zipacna and the Candlemaker.

When Zipacna saw him approaching, he let out a growl of frustration and annoyance. "Oh, no! Not you again! What do you want, _muchacho_?!"

"Where's Marigold?!" Juan Carlos snapped, standing his ground and refusing to be intimidated.

"We don't know." Camazok stated. "That… Víbora guy kidnapped her and we don't know where he could have taken her!"

"And to make things worse Xibalba is very grave! Toci and Itzamna are doing their best to help him, but the blade was coated in basilisk venom!" the Candlemaker gulped, glancing at the door nervously and flinching when he heard the dark god's screams of pain from within. "I can tell he's not going to be very happy when he remembers what happened."

A few seconds later, Toci and Itzamna came out of the room, somewhat relieved but still worried. "We managed to drain the venom from his system." Itzamna said. "But he's very weak, he won't be able to move for some time."

"Can we talk to him?" Juan Carlos asked. Right now he didn't care that Xibalba hated his _picture_, he wanted to know what had happened to the woman he loved.

"You speak with him, but try not to stress him any further. He's worried enough." Toci said.

They rushed into the room, and found Xibalba on bed, his waist wrapped in bandages, his moustaches and beard disheveled, and his tarry skin pale, almost making it look gray. Juan Carlos could not believe that the weakened god in front of him was that same regal, strong god full of life he had encountered so many times. Naturally, when his skull red pupils set on him he grew angry.

"Are you okay, _señor_?" Juan Carlos asked him. He might not be on good terms with him, but it didn't mean he didn't care about what happened to him. He was Marigold's father, after all.

"Okay?!" Xibalba snapped, as if angry that he asked it at all. "Aren't you seeing me?! My daughter was kidnapped, I lost the Book of Death and my wife's body to a maniac, and to make things worse you still have the nerve to come here?!"

Camazok lifted his hand timidly. "Oh, My Lord, I brought him."

Now Xibalba's annoyance turned to the bat god. "On whose side are you, boy?!"

"The side that wants to save Marigold!" Juan Carlos _snapped_ back.

"Can you stand up, man?" the Candlemaker inquired, staring at the bandages.

"Do I look like I can get up?"

Juan Carlos saw the dagger, now clean of venom, on the nightstand. He warily approached it and picked it up by the handle. "What's this?"

"You have never seen a dagger before?" Zipacna crossed his arms matter-of-factly at the human.

"Víbora poisoned it, that's how I got here." Xibalba answered the question meant for him.

"What happened there, My Lord?" Camazok said.

"Víbora wanted the Book of Death, La Muerte's body and the Medal of Everlasting Life. I was so desperate that I thought that if I gave him what he wanted he would release her." Xibalba gripped the blankets and spoke through grit teeth as he recalled his daughter's teary eyes as she watched what happened. "I forgot Víbora is a treacherous serpent, he double crossed me… He took my Marigold away.."

Juan Carlos felt his blood run cold. "Is she okay?"

"I DON'T KNOW! HE TOOK HER AWAY, I DON'T KNOW WHERE, SHE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD BY NOW!" Xibalba was trembling by now. He managed to calm down as he kept glaring at Juan Carlos. "But whatever happens with my daughter is not of your business!"

"It _is_ my business!"

"Oh, no, here they go again." Zipacna shook his head and took a hand to his temples.

"If it were not for you, my daughter wouldn't be in this situation!"

"What?! You can't blame me for this!"

"Before you came into her life everything was perfect!"

"Excuse me?! I didn't break her heart like _you_ did!"

The whole room grew dark as Xibalba's wings flared open and his pupils rotated forward, glaring down at Juan Carlos with all the hate he could muster. He had struck a nerve. This was the last straw; he wouldn't let a mere human like him speak to him like that. Juan Carlos returned the glare, he would not back away this time.

"Hey, guys, now's really not the time for this!" the Candlemaker whimpered at the air they were both giving.

"All I've ever done was to protect her! I'm her father!"

"If you truly loved her you wouldn't have done that to her! Parents are supposed to protect and support their children, not try to impose themselves on them! Did you ever think on what _she_ wanted?!"

"Oh, and you would know anything about being a father?!"

"I don't! But I had a wonderful father who taught me about true love! I don't care if you send me to the Land of the Cursed, to the end of the world, another dimension, I'm going to save Marigold even if I turn into dust! And you're not going to stop me!"

Xibalba was completely speechless. He didn't know what to say anymore, he just stared at the spirit in front of him with a bewildered expression.

"Stop fighting, you two!" Zipacna snapped. "Marigold is in danger and you two still can't get along?!"

"Listen, man, we'll save her!" the Candlemaker intervened before Zipacna joined the argument. "Just calm down!"

"We need to know exactly what we're going against so we can come up with a plan." Camazok added.

Xibalba was silent for a few moments, before speaking gravely. "…Víbora is a basilisk. If his eyes flow orange, do not look at them, or you will die. It knocks gods unconscious, but I don't know what it'll do with spirits like you, Sánchez." The dark god glanced sadly at Camazok. "I'm sorry, boy, but he devoured your brother and gained his wings and senses."

Camazok's eyes widened in shock, and horror, he could even notice they were dampening. It couldn't be. "No…" Camazok fell to his knees. "I never liked my brother, but… not even I would wish such a fate on him." He was still his brother, even if he never acted as such.

"Chakal should be no problem, all we have to do is to remove the medal from him and he'll be _finito_." The Candlemaker added.

"Wait a minute…" Camazok lifted his ears. "if Víbora ate my brother, it means he's part bat now?"

"You know how it works, you kill a god, you must take his place. That's how it's always been, and I doubt it will ever change."

The bat god smiled in realization. "I have a plan."

"Well, you can tell us on the way out!" Zipacna snapped. "We've lost too much time here and we need to go!" he glanced at his brother. "Don't worry, _hermanito_, we'll handle this, you just stay here!"

Xibalba growled. "Of course I'm going to stay here! I'm injured, remember?"

"Good, let's go."

But as they walked out of the door, the dark god spoke one more time. "Sánchez."

Juan Carlos stopped in his tracks, and turned around to glance at him warily in case he had something else to say. "What is it?" much to his surprise, Xibalba was not glaring at him, there was a serious look on his face only, not any resentment nor hate.

"If you love my daughter as much as you say you do…" Xibalba said, his voice firm. "…Bring her back to me safe and sound."

Juan Carlos didn't know what to say, he just nodded. "I will."

"Guys, where should we start looking?" Camazok inquired. "They could be anywhere by now."

"Actually, I think I might have an idea of where they could have gone." Zipacna said. "Think of it, what does Chakal want the most?"

"Revenge." The Candlemaker continued, and his eyes widened in realization. "Oh, no!"

"What?! What is it?!" Juan Carlos asked.

The Candlemaker didn't say anything. He just picked Juan Carlos and Camazok up and teleported, soon followed by Zipacna. Xibalba stayed behind, resting against the pillows and closing his eyes, though he did not sleep. He hoped with all his might that his baby was safe. He didn't know who he could pray to, if to his late wife, or the Fates that held his daughter's life in their hands, but he needed to believe in something after all.

"_Please_…." He thought. "_Let her be safe_."

* * *

Juan Carlos nearly had a heart attack in his first teleportation, but he managed to keep himself steady. When he felt the energy dissipating, he opened his eyes and let out a gasp of utter shock and surprise.

They were back in his hometown. In San Ángel. However, something was wrong. The air was dreadful and depressing, and there were no people in the streets. Heck, even the sky was dark and cloudy, as if the very atmosphere gave an ill omen.

"Is it me, or do you think something happened here?" Zipacna inquired. "There's more joy in a graveyard!"

"San Ángel?" Camazok looked around. "Why would Víbora and Chakal come here?"

"A long story." The Candlemaker gulped. "The short version is that Manolo was the one who defeated Chakal in battle, and knowing that overgrown gorilla I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to have revenge."

No… Did it mean…?

"Boy!" Zipacna and the others didn't have time to react as suddenly Juan Carlos ran towards one of the streets. Juan didn't listen to them, he just ran towards his house with his heart in his throat, praying with all his might that Chakal hadn't done what he thought he had done. But when his home came into sight he stopped sight as his eyes widened. Part of the front wall had been brought down, and the windows were shattered. It seemed that something-or rather, _someone_\- large had charged into the house, and left no survivors… wait, he heard sobbing from the inside.

"M-Mamá? P-Papá?" Juan Carlos called out for his parents.

The sobbing stopped. He heard whispers coming from within, and then footsteps, until a two figures appeared in the crumbled doorway. Time screeched to a halt for both parties, though for different reasons. Juan Carlos was relieved that his parents were safe and sound, though he noticed that they had apparently been in a fight, their clothing was torn, and there were scratches and bruises on their arms, faces and legs. Manolo and María could not believe what they were seeing. Could it be…?

"M-Mamá…" Juan choked back tears.

"JUAN CARLOS!" María ignored the pain in her twisted ankle as she ran towards her son and wrapped her arms around her son, sobbing uncontrollably. Juan Carlos returned the hug and pulled his mother closer.

"Mamá…"

Manolo joined his wife and deceased son in hug, the three of them sobbing. Juan Carlos didn't want to let go of his parents, but soon he pulled back into greet them properly after months of being apart from them. "I thought I'd never see you again…"

"We missed you so much, Juan…" María was sobbing of joy, touching her son's face to make sure this wasn't a dream.

Manolo patted Juan's shoulder with a smile and glistening eyes. "I'm so happy to see you're safe…" soon he saw three more figures approaching, and he recognized the Candlemaker, but not the other two. He embraced both his wife and son and stepped back warily. "Candlemaker?"

"Manny! Long time no see!" the wax deity bellowed, teleporting behind Manolo and patting his back (tenderly, he was hurt, after all). "How long has it been? Seventeen years?"

María glared at Zipacna and Camazok. "Who are you two?"

"Z-Zipacna, I'm Xibalba's older brother…" Zipacna felt somewhat intimidated by the fire in this woman's eyes. He then pointed at Camazok, judging by how the bat was trembling he guessed he wouldn't be able to speak clearly. "And this is C-Camazok…"

Juan Carlos took notice of something. "Mamá, papá, where's Cristina?"

María froze, and burst out into tears once more, falling on her knees and taking her hands to her face.

"Mamá…?"

"_Mijo_…" Manolo didn't know how he would tell him. His voice was shaking with regret, sorrow and pain. "Chakal… He came with a monster…. Somehow he returned from the death…" He tightened his fists and spoke through grit teeth. "I tried to stop him… but I couldn't…"

"Where's Cristina?!" Juan Carlos feared the worst.

Camazok whispered into Zipacna's ear. "Who's Cristina?"

"His little sister." Zipacna replied in a low voice.

The next words that left Manolo's lips nearly did it. "He took her away."

Juan Carlos stepped back, his eyes widening in horror and bewilderment. No, not his little sister. It couldn't be!

"Listen, the monster with Chakal is named Víbora, and he took Marigold too!" Camazok told the humans. "If we hurry we may still save them both, but we need to know if you saw which way they went!"

"We don't know. He knocked us unconscious and when we woke up they were gone." Manolo replied, kneeling down to comfort his wife.

"Can't we see it in the Book of Life?" Zipacna said. "I don't think it's against the rules to take a peek, right? I mean, it must say where they took them."

The Candlemaker actually considered the idea. "That's not such a bad plan. Oh, Booook!" he called out into thin air, and a few seconds later the Book of Life materialized in front of him. Opening it and skipping to Marigold's Story, he looked for the page he was looking for. "_After witnessing Víbora's murder attempt on her father, she did not know he had survived, and she was taken to the Land of the Living to be sacrificed in an attempt to bring back her mother from the death."_

"Oh, no! It's just what we thought!" Zipacna snapped, taking his hands to his head with a horrified expression. "We have to hurry!"

"I thought that was only a legend…" Camazok whispered, trembling.

"Wait, wait, you can actually bring back the dead?" Manolo asked.

"It's not a matter to be discussed with humans." Zipacna retorted.

"Now's really not the time for that!" Juan Carlos growled, glaring at the caiman-head. "Why would Víbora need Marigold to bring back someone from the dead?!"

"He doesn't want to bring juts _anyone_, he wants to bring La Muerte back." The Candlemaker explained, there was no case in hiding it anymore. "To bring someone back from the dead, you need the person's body, the Book of Death, and a blood sacrifice of an innocent with the same blood of the deceased."

"But bringing a _god_ back from the death is a forbidden ritual." Zipacna continued, sighing. "When gods die, the universe shifts and changes to assimilate the absence, and if you bring back a god the universe is no longer accustomed to his presence, and it can have cataclysmic results."

"Just tell me where they are so that we may go and save her!" Juan Carlos said.

"Oh, right!" the Candlemaker continued reading, until he found where she had been taken. "Oh, _santa chihuahua_… Not _that_ place."

* * *

She had no longer strength to fight.

She didn't care what they did with her anymore, she was too broken on the inside to care that she was going to die. She let out muffled sobs as she was tied to a pole on top of a pyre of wood, soon to be sacrificed, her wings were loose but fallen, unmoving, and her eyes were bloodshot with no more tears left to shed. She could see poor Cristina as she was chained to one of the walls of the ancient ruins, all bruised and hurt. Chakal stood to one side, holding his sword in one hand, the medal of everlasting life hidden under one of his bandolier. He was waiting for this dirty business to be over so he could kill the child and be done with his vengeance.

Víbora had placed La Muerte's body on top a pedestal, and drawn symbols on the ground around the pyre for the ritual, the Book of Death open in front of the pedestal, waiting for its forbidden words to be pronounced. Víbora walked towards La Muerte's body and stroked her cheek with a claw tenderly.

"Soon, _mi amor_…" he whispered. "We'll be together forever."

"Marigold!" Cristina cried out for the goddess in the pyre.

"Shut your trap, brat!" Chakal growled at her as he held out his sword and glared down at her with gnashing teeth, making her whimper. "Or I'll finish you off earlier!"

Marigold couldn't reply. She didn't have the strength. Her father, her papi, was gone. She'd never see him again, and the last words she said to him were very cruel. As angry as she could get at him, she could never truly hate him, she loved him too much. And now it was too late to tell him she was worry, she didn't care to die now. Perhaps she'd see him again when she was gone.

Víbora started to read from the Book of Death in a language she could not understand, and when he did the symbols around the pyre glowed a sickly green. As soon as the energy touched the wood, it sparked and the fire sparked. The smoke rose into the air and went into her lungs, but she did not care. Marigold closed her eyes shut as tears rolled down her cheeks. Waves of memories returned to her she felt the smell of the smoke and the heat of the fire getting stronger.

* * *

_"__Papi, I'm scared. Can I sleep with you?" _

_Xibalba smiled at her as he wiped her tears with his thumb tenderly. "Sure you can, __**mi florecita**__."_

* * *

_She giggled as her father lifted her up in the air, flapping her little wings flapping. She laughed when he tickled her belly playfully. "No, papa, no!"_

* * *

_Marigold suckled from the bottle with half-closed eyelids as her father lulled her to sleep in his embrace, rocking her back and forth and singing the lullaby he had made up just for her._

* * *

_"__I promise you, I will always be there for you, no matter what." _

_The newborn godling giggled as she felt her father's lips peppering her forehead with a kiss. Shortly after, she felt her eyelids close as she was soothed down by the beating sound coming form his chest._

* * *

"_I'm sorry, papi…_" Marigold thought, sobbing uncontrollably as she closed her eyes shut. Just as she heard the cackling of the fire and the smoke started affecting her consciousness, she thought she heard a voice calling out for her.

"MARIGOLD!"


	21. The Ascendance

Xibalba was still in bed, looking through the window at the festive landscape. Trays of food, cold and untouched, were left in the bedside table. He had no appetite, he was too worried about his baby to even glance at the food, no matter how much the servants begged him to eat so he'd regain his strength faster. But their pleas went on deaf ears.

He could not stand it anymore.

He could not just stay here while his Marigold was in danger.

As soon as he felt he had recovered some energy, Xibalba managed to stand up from bed, but he had not the energy to teleport. He'd find a way. Pulling his staff to his grasp telekinetically, he limped his way towards the door, but the wound was deep and had not healed, not to mention the venom was still being purged from his system, which weakened him considerably. He didn't even have the strength to keep his wings up, and they were being dragged unto the floor.

When he opened the door and stepped outside into the hall, one of the servants was there and saw what was happening. "My Lord!" he immediately ran towards the dark god. "What are you doing out of bed?!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Xibalba hissed, not bothering to look at the servant as he continued on his way, his grip on his staff tightening and gritting his teeth when he felt a sharp pain in his ribs. "I'm going to save my child."

"But My Lord, Lady Toci said-!"

"I don't care what she said! I'm not sitting by while my daughter is in danger!"

As he advanced, a few maids and servants that passed by had similar reactions and tried to convince him to return to bed, but they were all ignored as Xibalba kept advancing, his wound starting to reopen and his bandages getting tainted with a bit of black blood. At that point, one servant was bold (or reckless, he couldn't tell) enough to try stop him directly by pulling on his cloak, but it was a grave mistake as Xibalba, in a fit of painful rage, threw him against the wall with a flick of his hand. The poor soul was disassembled, and the others had to lend him a hand.

By the time he had reached the Dining Hall, however, the pain was completely unbearable and the wound had reopened a bit; Xibalba collapsed, clutching his bandages with grit fangs and his feathers bristling in pain. He tried to stand up, but the pain was excruciating, and he collapsed once again. He couldn't go on, he was too weak, as much as he didn't want to admit it. He would not be able to help his child, as much as it hurt he was helpless.

Still, with some effort he managed to stand up and head towards his late wife's throne to rest, limping with his staff and clutching his bandaged ribs to keep more blood from coming out. He managed to sit down on the throne, his feathers bristled and cold sweat trickling down his face, gingerly pressing his hand against the wound. Just then, a speck of red caught his attention.

There was a red guitar resting against the leg of the table. He had a feeling to who it belonged to. He felt the urge to break it apart, he didn't want anything that reminded him of the human that caused all this to happen… but something called his attention. That tone of red reminded him a bit of the color of Marigold's eyes. Curious, he grabbed the guitar by the handle and started examining it closely. That's when he noticed some other things reminiscent of his daughter to some extent. The bridge of the guitar had the shape of two, black-feathered wings with golden tips, golden curls were painted over the red wood, and there was a single paint of his daughter's namesake flower on the body beneath the bridge, bright and colorful. Xibalba kept staring at the guitar for a while, wondering how a simple guitar could remind him of his daughter. He had never been fond of this string instrument, he always preferred the organ, but he loved when La Muerte used to play it.

Could it be…?

Realization slowly dawned on him as he kept staring at the instrument with wide eyes. He could see it now, his daughter and the human were truly meant to be. Soulmates. But he had been so blind he didn't see it, or perhaps he didn't _want_ to see it. Gingerly, he touched one of the strings with his claws and tried not to snap it broken, flinching as the corresponding note sounded.

Running his fingers over the guitar, he silently cast an enchantment on it, and a few seconds later the strings moved and played by themselves a _very_ familiar tune. The one he had once heard years ago, played by Manolo, to apologize to the monstrous bull he was supposed to defeat for all transgressions committed by his family against it and its kin. He wished he could do something like that with Marigold, but he scoffed at the idea. Like a mere song would make up to her for what he did, she would never forgive him, he was certain.

His eyes swelled up with tears as he clutched the guitar, he would not bear to live that his beloved child hated him. Maybe everyone had been right, maybe he had acted out of jealously, but didn't want to accept it. As tears rolled down his cheeks, he made a promise one more time, an oath, in exchange of his daughter's wellbeing.

If she came back, he would make sure she was happy, no matter if she shut him out of her happiness.

* * *

When she heard Juan Carlos's voice calling out for her, she instantly reacted. Cristina reacted instantly as well, her eyes brightening up with hope. Víbora had not time to reach as Camazok fired a dark energy ball towards him, knocking him away from the Book of Death, while Zipacna flapped his wings and extinguished the flames of the pyre, dropping Juan Carlos on top of it so he could release Marigold. But as he was about to do so Chakal, forgetting about Cristina for the moment, lunged at both Juan and Zipacna, his large clawed hands successfully knocking them away. At the last moment Zipacna unleashed a flock of spectral crows from underneath his cloak, but it was to no avail as the Medal of Everlasting Life protected Chakal from damage.

"Damn it!" Juan Carlos growled in pain, standing up and jumping away before Chakal's fist came into contact with the spot he had been standing in a few seconds ago.

"Remove the medal from him!" Zipacna growled, before turning towards Víbora and Camazok, then calling out. "Candlemaker! Take that thing away now, would you?!"

Víbora's new ears perked up when he heard those words escape Zipacna's lips, and saw the Candlemaker quickly float to the Book of Death, wearing especially anti dark-magic gloves to pick it up. "Oh, no, you don't!"

Before he could rush forward, however, Camazok got in the way. "You know what's the downside to being a bat?" he flew to the side of Víbora's head. "Super sensitive hearing!" He screamed at the top of his lungs in Víbora's ear. The Basilisk roared in agony as he stepped back, stunned, his ear bleeding. Zipacna flew towards Víbora, his claws aiming for his fangs, performing a perfect slice on Víbora's left fang, but black venom spilled out of the broken fang, unto the floor around Camazok and Zipacna.

Marigold let out muffled cries and yells as she tried to release herself from the pole, flapping her wings in desperation. Thankfully she could feel the ropes tying up her hands loosen up a bit, it seemed having such big hands were not good at tying up ropes.

"Damn it!" Juan Carlos barely managed to avoid another attack from Chakal, and managed to catch a glimpse of a green glow beneath the bandit's bandoliers. Great, how would he get the medal off him if it was so safely tucked away? Just then he noticed the bandoliers were charged with explosives… maybe…

"Juan!"

Cristina's voice alerted him to another of Chakal's attacks, but he reacted too late and was barely managed to dodge it, though Chakal managed to rip off his jacket. Good thing he was already dead, or he'd be in big trouble. A scream of pain caught their attention. Marigold, Cristina and Juan Carlos glanced towards the direction of the sound, and saw in horror how Camazok was clutching his arm with an agonizing look in his face. Víbora must have splashed some of his spilled venom unto him, and managed to catch Zipacna with his tail, nearly squeezing the life out of him. When Camazok was distracted by the pain, Víbora grabbed him with his claws and glared into the bat god's eyes with glowing orange eyes; Camazok's eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness.

"Camazok!" Zipacna and Juan Carlos cried his name, but the former gagged when Víbora's grasp tightened even more.

"No, you don't!" Víbora hissed, baring his only remaining fang, and throwing Camazok against the wall. "You won't be a bother any longer, boy. Maybe you will taste better than your brother-" the basilisk roared in pain when Zipacna's teeth dug into his tail, and had no option but to let go of him.

Zipacna flapped his wings and flew above Víbora. "Come and face me, you coward!" he snapped. "Or what, are you scared of heights?!"

Víbora narrowed his eyes and spread out his wings. "You're about to see who's scared of heights, buffoon!" He took off and flew after Zipacna, the two exchanging growls, slices and bites as well as magic attacks between each other.

Marigold finally managed to free her hands from her bindings, and removed the gag to cry at Juan Carlos. "JUAN!"

He had just been thrown against a crumbling wall when he heard her voice. He looked up at her. "Marigold, go with my sister! She needs help!"

Oh, right! Cristina! She quickly flew towards the girl, and summoned a rose flame to melt her chains. Juan Carlos soon noticed how Chakal's insanity and anger seemed to be overpowering him, and he was simply lunging at him out of primal rage. Maybe he could use it to his advantage while he thought of a plan B. Untying the red cloth from around his waist, he waved it like a torero's cape. "_Venga, toro_!" Like he assumed, Chakal became angrier at this and charged at him in all fours, making animalistic snarls an growls. At the last moment, Juan jumped out of the way. Memories of his first _corrida_ came back to him as he performed the very same moves on Chakal. "_Entrale_!"

Finally, Chakal got tired of the 'game' and charged with all his might at the annoying spirit, but this time Juan Carlos jumped beneath him, and lit the matches from Chakal's bombs. By the time the bandit king had realized, it was too late and was blown against the wall by the following explosion, also causing the wall to crumble and crush him. However, a few seconds later, Chakal emerged from the rubble, with a sickening grin and a taunting chuckle. "You foolish boy, you cannot kill me as long as I have the medal!"

"Oh, I know that." Juan grinned, holding up the medal between his fingers. "That's why I borrowed it for a while, if you don't mind."

Chakal's toothy grin disappeared and his face contorted into a murderously insane scowl. "GIVE IT BACK!"

"You want it? Come for it!" when Chakal charged at him once more, Juan led him towards one of the abandoned minor temples of the place, and tucking the medal into his other pocket for the time being.

Marigold watched as the monster formerly known as the bandit king chased after her love, just like a ravenous wolf going after its prey, before she recalled she had a task at hand. Once she had released Cristina, the poor human wrapped her arms around her and burst out in tears. "Mari!" she sobbed, terrified of what was going on.

"Shh, it's okay, Cristy, everything's going to be okay." Marigold cooed, before picking her up and flying towards the Candlemaker, who by then had managed to finally contain the dark magic of the Book of Death and shut it closed once more. "Candlemaker!"

"Marigoldie, are you okay?!" he asked her, but sighing in relief when he saw she had little scratches.

"Take Cristina somewhere safe!" Marigold snapped, handing her over.

"What about you?!"

"I'm not leaving Juan Carlos nor my uncle behind!"

Just then, she heard a roar of pain coming from above, and looked up just in time to see her uncle falling like a missile, crash-landing a few yards away against one of the walls. Zipacna spat blood, his cloak ripped, a wing broken and feathers scattered all around him, before he lost consciousness.

"_TÍO_!" Marigold cried out in horror, running towards the fallen god, but suddenly she felt large claws wrap around her waist, trapping her arms and wings, as Víbora swooped down and captured her, before flying up once more. "Let go of me!"

"Oh, no, you brat! I still need you alive!" Víbora snapped, before turning to the spot where the Candlemaker was still floating, holding both Cristina and the Book of Death. "You! Leave the book where it was or I'll tear her to pieces!"

"Víbora, stop this!" Candlemaker decided totry one more time to reason with the basilisk. "You are not thinking clearly! You really think La Muerte would love you if you killed her only child, man?!"

"That's the point! She's dead because of her _beloved_ child!"

""Destroying the universe is not worth it! We would all be dead and it would have been all for nothing!"

Before Víbora could retort, an explosion made the ground tremble and one of the minor temples, the one where Juan Carlos had lured Chakal into, crumble to the ground. The three still conscious people in that place turned around to see the old building collapse, and go there was no sign that any of the two had survived. Víbora couldn't care any less for the bandit king, but Marigold thought differently for the love of her life.

"JUAN!" both her and Cristina cried out in horror.

Víbora snickered and looked down at Marigold. "Well, it seems your _amante_ died all over again." However, he was surprised when suddenly he felt a new weight unto his tail; he twisted his neck around and much to his bewilderment and shock found Juan clinging to his tail, holding one of Chakal's daggers. He ignored Marigold, Candlemaker and Cristina's looks of relief mixed with worry and snapped at him. "YOU! Whatever did you do to Chakal?!"

Juan Carlos was all bruised and one of his ankles was dislocated, but he smirked through the pain and held up the medal of everlasting life. "Let's say his charm of good luck failed him."

Marigold bit hard unto Víbora's talon, making him loosen his grip on her as he let out a roar of pain. She tried to fly towards Juan Carlos, but he shook his head at her before Víbora forgot about Marigold and tried to shake the boy off him.

"Go help your uncle and the others!" he yelled at her, clinging for dear life unto Víbora's tail and barely managing to avoid his fangs. Still, he threw the meal of everlasting life at her.

Marigold gasped as she caught the medal. "But-!"

"GO!"

She didn't want to leave him alone, but she flew down towards Camazok just as Candlemaker placed Cristina a few steps away from the fallen bat god and went to fetch Zipacna's injured form. Camazok was just regaining his consciousness, and was met with a sharp burning sensation on his arm and back, but the sight of Marigold's gentle (but quite bruised) face made him smile a bit. "Hey…"

"Stay with me, Cam! Don't close your eyes!" glancing at the medal in her hand, Marigold placed it unto her friend's chest, and pulled Cristina back just as Camazok growled in discomfort, feeling as his burned skin healed and the pain disappeared, like he had never been hurt at all. But it took time for gods to recover from injuries with an artifact , and time was a luxury they didn't have right then.

Meanwhile, Juan Carlos had managed to climb up Víbora's hair and unto his back, the basilisk let out roars of fury as he flew at top speed through the abandoned city, going through temples and narrow openings to shake the human off him, but all his attempts were futile as Juan Carlos gripped to him like a tick. Juan struggled to keep the dagger (in his perspective it was the size of a shortsword) in his hand without falling off. He had to kill this beast to end this once and for all.

"You are going to regret this, boy!" Víbora hissed as snapped his teeth at Juan Carlos, but once again the human avoided it.

"The only one who will regret having put his dirty claws on Marigold is you!"

"You think she loves you?! You are nothing but a toy for her, a toy she would discard when she got bored of it!"

"Liar!"

"No, it's not a lie! She told me so!"

"We're about to see that!" finally, Juan Carlos managed to climb unto Víbora's chest when the basilisk roared. When Víbora realized what Juan Carlos was going to do, he tried in vain to grab him with his talons, but it was too late.

Juan Carlos yelled in anger as he dug the dagger unto Víbora's heart. Víbora's eyes nearly gorged out of his skull as he let out an loud shriek of pain that could be heard through the entire place. Juan was equally mortified when black blood spilled out of his chest, staining his hands and clothing, but he dug the blade deeper into him. Víbora's wings shook as he flapped them in an unsynchronized way as he flew higher into the sky, his heart coming to a stop as he felt the knive's blade tear through it, until finally all life was drained from him. But if he was going to fall, he would not fall alone; with the last of his consciousness he grabbed Juan Carlos in his talon, and glared unto him, before his eyes turned off forever.

Víbora was no more.

Juan Carlos realized what he had wordlessly meant, and panicked when the basilisk's body started to fall towards the ground like a shooting star. But his terror started when suddenly, some sort of energy oozed out of Víbora and started going unto him.

When they heard Víbora's shriek of pain, they knew Juan Carlos had injured him, but they realized the human would have no ways of escaping from the crash. Camazok and Zipacna were still injured, but they still could teleport. Marigold tried to fly towards Víbora's falling body, but the Candlemaker stopped her.

"Let me go!"

"You can't do anything, Marigold!" he said regretfully.

"Juan needs me!"

She could only watch helplessly as Víbora's body crash-landed against the nearby pyramid, completely destroying it and bringing it down completely. Clouds of dust rose into the air, completely hiding the remains of the basilisk and, probably Juan Carlos's skeletal, shattered from view. "JUAN CARLOS!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, releasing herself from the Candlemaker's grasp and running towards the rubble, only to stop a few feet away.

No… First her father, and now Juan Carlos…

Marigold's eyes swelled up with tears as she fell to her knees, staring into the overgrown bricks and clouds of dust in front of her, before taking her hands to her eyes and bursting out into tears, her wings wrapping around her body to make a little cocoon. Cristina followed soon after, bursting into tears and embracing the Candlemaker for comfort, though the wax deity was so shaken with bewilderment he could only place his large hand on top of her as a comforting gesture. Camazok and Zipacna looked down sadly, their ears drooping.

But Camazok caught the sound of something… his ears twitched at the sound of groans coming from beneath the rubble. Marigold froze when she heard rocks falling and the rubble crumbling as something beneath it shifted and struggled to emerge. It couldn't be! She quickly stepped back, really to fight if she had to, if she had to avenge Juan Carlos she would do it. But as a figure emerged, the group stared at him with astonished expressions.

"J-Juan Carlos…?"

The spirit was no longer a skeleton. Heck, he was not even a mere spirit anymore. Juan look mostly the same as when he was alive, but with red, copperish scaly skin, and a long swishing tail. Although his Sánchez curl was still intact, now it was all wild and his hair color had changed from dark brown to black with red streaks, and his hands turned into sharp claws. His eyes became serpentine for a few seconds, before changing back to normal. Two leathery wings flapped a few times to get adjusted to their new host, before folding on Juan Carlos's back as his pointy, long ears twitched in discomfort. His clothing was ripped, and most of his bare chest was exposed. Juan Carlos took a hand to his head and rubbed his scalp before looking around, adjusting to his new improved vision. "What the…?" he managed to spot a familiar figure a few steps away. "Marigold…?" he barely had time to react when Marigold rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing into his chest.

"JUAN!" she cried out, before glaring up at him. "What were you thinking?! You were nearly killed!" then she hugged him again. "But I'm glad you're safe…"

"What happened?" Camazok could not believe what he was seeing. Juan now looked like a mixture of Víbora and Camazotl's traits.

"I'm as surprised as you, guys…" Juan whispered, returning Marigold's hug and burying his face into her hair just as Cristina rushed forward and hugged his leg despite his rather…. strange appearance.

"Ancient Rules, man." The Candlemaker chirped in delight. "You kill a god, you must take his place. And I guess you know what that means! "

Marigold's eyes widened, while Juan gasped. Then they looked into each other's eyes with a mixture of surprise, delight, and love. They could be together now. Camazok couldn't help but smile when he saw how they looked into each other's eyes, as if they were alone in this place.

"Well, I'll take care of my _cuñada's_ body, you guys." Zipacna said, deciding to give the little lovebirds some time alone as he walked towards La Muerte's body.

"I have to make sure the Book of Death isn't damaged." The Candlemaker was next, and disappeared into a flash of light with the Book of Death in tow.

Cristina was enjoying the moment when Camazok awkwardly picked her up. "Hey! Put me down, batty face!" she protested, wiggling as he carried her away.

"S-Sorry, but I don't think that's something c-children should hear…" Camazok blushed.

Once they were left alone, Marigold and Juan Carlos didn't know what to say to each other. Juan Carlos was the first to break the ice. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes…" Marigold blushed, covering her exposed left breast with her wing. "_Gracias a ti_…"

"I love you, there's nothing I wouldn't do to make sure you're happy and safe."

"Ay, Juan…" Marigold's eyes swelled up with tears once more, but not of joy this time. She started sobbing as she hugged herself. "Papá… He…"

"Oh _por dios_! You don't know!" Juan Carlos smacked his forehead in dismay upon realizing she thought her father was dead.

"Know what?" she looked at him with teary eyes, but deep down she hoped he would tell her what she wanted to hear.

"Marigold…" he smiled as he plaed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Xibalba is alive."


	22. Amor

**Everyone, before anyone has the wonderful idea to denounce me for 'copying' A. Kingsleigh's story Apotheosis in the previous chapter, I'd like to make something clear. I did ****_not_**** copy it, I have not read it, even. I would never do such a thing to such an amazing, original writer. For your comprehension, thanks.**

* * *

Cristina looked around the colorful, festive realm with wide, amazed eyes. She could not believe the stories her father would tell her when she was little were all true. "Wow…" she gasped in wonder.

"Isn't it against the Ancient Rules to bring living people here?" Camazok inquired, looking at Cristina as she looked around.

"Given the circumstances, I think we can make an exception this time." the Candlemaker replied, grinning. "Besides, look at her! Isn't she a cutie when she's happy?"

Marigold had not said anything yet, she just stared into the direction of her mother's castle, her heart drumming inside her chest. Juan Carlos seemed to notice, for he placed his hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture, though she shivered at the feeling of his new, scaly touch. She couldn't help it, she remembered how Víbora had touched her. Her father was alive, after all, and even though she was beyond relieved, she didn't know what she'd do now, what she'd tell him.

"Are you okay?"

"I think so…" Marigold sighed, her wings shifting uncomfortably. "I just… I don't know what I'm going to tell my father…"

Juan smiled and turned her towards him so he could look into her eyes. "Everything will be okay. Your father will be very happy to see you, he was very worried about you when we talked."

"But what if he doesn't let us be-?"

"What matters now is that you talk things over with him, then we'll worry about that."

"Really, _sobrina_, he regrets what he did." Zipacna added with a small smile. "I'm sure he won't make the same mistake once."

"Go, Mari. We'll catch up to you in a while." Camazok nodded at her too.

Marigold smiled at her friends warmly. "_Gracias_." Then she teleported to the castle.

* * *

He had no idea of how much time had passed, but he was very anguished that he hadn't had any news about his child. His bandages had been changed with clean ones, but he still refused to eat.

Xibalba shifted in bed, his wings wrapped around his body almost like a blanket, staring outside through the window, thinking over what he would say to his daughter if she made it, he was afraid that she would not forgive him though he wouldn't blame her if she didn't. She had trusted him and he betrayed that trust and love she had for him. He didn't turn his head around as the doors flung open and he heard frantic footsteps.

"My Lord!"

"What?" Xibalba simply said with a hoarse voice; heck, he didn't even have the strength to snap at the servant.

"Your daughter, she-!"

At the mention of Marigold Xibalba nearly jumped out of bed, anxiety and hope drawn in all his features. "Is she back?!"

"She has just-!"

"Excuse me! Out of my way!"

When he heard that voice, that wonderful voice, Xibalba nearly felt his heart stop. The moment he had been dreading and yearning at the same time had finally come, he would face his daughter after what happened between them. Soon Marigold flew into the room and landed in the doorway, freezing when she saw the state her father was in. The servant bowed and left, closing the door behind him, knowing the following talk was between them.

Father and daughter just stayed there, staring at each other, not knowing what to say and afraid to break the ice. However, Xibalba thought it would be best if he was the one to speak first. "Marigold, I…"

"PAPÁ!"

He was taken by surprise when she flew towards him and embraced him tightly, sobbing uncontrollably and burying her face into his neck. He was taken aback for a few moments, but he returned the embrace and pulled his daughter as close to him as possible, wrapping his wings around her, not wanting to let go of her ever again. Soon he was peppering her face with kisses before embracing her yet again, weeping tears of joy.

"_Mi niña_…" he whispered with sobs. "_Mi bebita_…"

"_Papito_…" Marigold sobbed, snuggling into the warm, protective embrace she knew and loved so well. "_Lo siento_… I didn't mean what I said… I could never hate you…"

"Shhh… I have nothing to forgive you, _mi florecita_." Xibalba replied gently, stroking her head and running his fingers through her long, dark hair. "It is I who should be begging for your forgiveness, my sweet. I hurt you in the worst way possible, and I didn't care about what _you_ wanted. I thought I was trying to protect you, but I was tearing your apart from your true love." He pulled back from the embrace and glanced into Marigold's teary eyes with a look full of regret. "I understand if you don't want anything to do with me, I don't deserve your forgiveness…"

Despite the air, Marigold managed to smile at him. "Ay, papá… How could I not forgive such a wonderful father as you?" She kissed his cheek. "_Te quiero_…"

Xibalba smiled and wiped her tears with his thumb. "_Y yo te adoro, mi niña hermosa_."

They embraced once again for what seemed hours, until there was a knock in the door and Juan Carlos poked in his head nervously. When he felt Xibalba's eyes upon him, he was about to go back outside when the dark god spoke, once more with his voice of authority. "Step forward, boy."

Gulping internally, Juan Carlos entered the room and closed the door behind him, approaching Xibalba and his daughter, who finally had pulled back when she heard his voice and looked back at him nervously. "S-Si, _señor_?"

Managing to stand up with help of his staff, Xibalba circled around Juan Carlos like a condor preying on a helpless hare. "You saved my daughter from the clutches of that twisted serpent, and for that I am in your debt." He didn't need to ask what happened to Víbora, he could see it in how the human had been transformed. He was glad.

"Like I said before, _señor_, I love Marigold and I would do anything for her safety."

Xibalba nodded, and with a snap of his fingers Juan Carlos's guitar appeared out of thin air. "Yes, I see that now."

"_Gracias_…" Juan Carlos didn't know what to say, he wasn't used to the dark god being so… nice.

"I know I have wronged you and for that I apologize," the Lord of the Forgotten said gently as he returned the instrument to its master. It was clear it was very hard for him to apologize, he wasn't used to doing so unless it was to someone very close to him. Xibalba himself could not believe what he was doing, but he was not willing to hurt his baby for a second time. "And even though it goes against my very being, I give you my blessing to wed my daughter."

Neither Marigold nor Juan Carlos could believe what they had just heard.

"A-Are you serious, papá?" Marigold inquired, her eyes swelling up with tears of joy.

He turned towards her and gave her a small grin. "We didn't put so much preparation in this not to go through with it."

Marigold flew forward and embraced her father, taking both him and Juan Carlos by surprise. "Ay, papá!"

Juan Carlos watched fondly how his love had reconciled with her father, but he froze when yet another figure entered the room. He was majestic and regal, a man with the head of a feathered serpent wearing golden armor and a regal red cape, colorful plumage adorning his body. Damn it, just how many gods were here?!

"Xibalba." Quetzalcóatl spoke, glancing at the dark god.

Xibalba glanced at his king, and bowed his head in respect. "What is it, My Lord?"

"I have been informed that a mortal has slain a god."

Juan Carlos gulped and nearly fainted when Xibalba motioned towards him with his head. He tried to hide behind one of his father in law's wings, but Xibalba rolled his eyes and gently shoved him forward. "T-That would be m-me…" Juan Carlos stuttered nervously, his ears drooping and his wings shifting close to his body.

The serpent headed king placed a hand on Juan's shoulder. "_Joven_, you have done us a great service in ridding the cosmos of that wretch Víbora."

Juan Carlo sighed in relief when he heard he as not in trouble. "Really it was nothing, I just wanted to save Marigold."

"If I heard correctly you and she are to be wed, right?"

"Yeah.."

Quetzalcóatl took his hands behind his back and glanced down at Juan Carlos. "Then by my decree, as you have taken a new form, so too shall you have a new name. From this day you shall be known as Juanoctis, and upon the moment you and Marigold are wed you will rule by her side as Lord of the Remembered when the time is right, you two are young and have yet much to learn."

"_Gracias_… I guess…" Damn it, it just felt so awkward!

Quetzalcóatl glanced at the dark god. "By the way, Xibalba, I think you should teach your brother a bit about privacy."

Xibalba blinked. "What do you mean?"

The King of Aztlan gestured to the door, opening it telepathically and Zipacna, Cristina, the Candlemaker and Camazok fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Ouch!"

"Get off me!"

"Did you gain any weight?!"

When they realized what just happened, they were beyond embarrassed. Marigold couldn't contain her giggles, Xibalba shook his head in disapproval, Juan Carlos started laughing and Quetzalcóatl simply stared at them with an amused expression.

"Huh… _Hola_?" Zipacna said awkwardly, blushing and drooping his ears.

Xibalba rubbed his temples. "Seriously? How many times are we going to have this conversation?"

Zipacna, Camazok and the Candlemaker pointed at Cristina. "Her idea!" they cried out simultaneously.

"Tattletales." She mumbled with a pout while crossing her arms.

"Well, guys, what are we waiting for?" the Candlemaker chimed, teleporting from beneath the pile of gods and next to Xibalba to pat his back. "We have a wedding to attend to!"

"Huh, guys…" Marigold finally spoke, wrapping her wings around her body. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh… right."

"Should I fetch Xochiquétzal?" Zipacna inquired with a toothy, mischevious grin.

Quetzalcóatl nodded. "Yes, and we will need someone to fetch the boy's living relatives."

Juan Carlos sighed. "Mamá is _so_ going to like this."

"Why stop with his family, all of San Ángel should be here for this!" the Candlemaker gushed happily. "It's not everyday a human becomes a god, this is big!"

Xibalba didn't want to imagine the mess humans would make down there. "I don't think we should exaggerate."

Quetzalcóatl thought for a moment. "We can at the very least let them watch. San Ángel is on an island surrounded by water. With a bit of Tlaloc's magic and yours, Candlemaker, we may allow the mortals to view the ceremony through the water."

"Sounds better…"

"Xibalba, you will be the one to go fetch the boy's family."

The dark god nearly had a heart attack. "What?! Why does it have to be me?!"

The feathered serpent raised an eyebrow and shot him a mild glare. "You question your king?"

"I…." it took every ounce of self control in his being not to snap. "No, My Lord." He sighed after a while.

* * *

In a few hours, everything was ready, it took a good amount of effort but Xochiquétzal managed to fix it just in time for the ceremony. Everything went on as planned, only with Juan Carlos as the groom, and Camazok as his Best Man. He felt nervous, but the sight of his family-including his parents and ancestors- waving at him enthusiastically from their seats. Looking up he could see the people of San Ángel either in boats or on the shore watching as the ceremony took place. The light shining through the water made it look as thought they were under water and added to the beauty of the Land of the Remembered; heck, he could even see his grandfather bragging about his grandson becoming a god. Seriously…

When the music started playing, everyone turned around to see the bride walking down the carpet, Cristina and Antonia acting as the flower girls. Both Juan Carlos and Camazok gaped at the sight, though Camazok was quick to regain composure, recalling Juan Carlos was the groom now. Marigold looked more beautiful than ever, she looked like hours later, like she had never been taken at all. She was smiling as she walked down the aisle, holding unto her father's arm as he escorted her towards the altar. Xibalba managed to stay on his feet with the help of his staff, glancing at his daughter with a smile.

He remembered when she was just a little, gurgling bundle of joy, how her chubby little hands would reach out to touch his face as she giggled innocently, her curious little eyes looking all around her. He remembered when she was little and she'd follow him around just to be with him, when she'd sneak into his room in the middle of the night when she had a bad dream, and all the times she had hugged him and peppered his cheeks with small butterfly kisses, saying '_te quiero_, papi'. It hurt him to let her go, she was-and would always be-the light of his life, she would always occupy a place in his heart, but she was all grown-up now, a young woman.

When they were in front of the altar, Xibalba knew it was time. Before handing her over to Juan Carlos, he turned to see her with glossy eyes, and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I hope you're very happy, _mi florecita_."

"_Gracias_, papá…" Marigold returned the smile and embraced her father tightly, feeling the warmth of his embrace one more time.

Juan Carlos couldn't help but smile at the sight, though soon he felt a shiver when he heard Xibalba's voice inside his head.

_You better treat her like a Queen or I'll have your head._

Juan gulped. "_Sí, señor_." He replied in his mind.

Xibalba finally managed to let go of his baby… no; she was not a baby anymore (though for him she would always be _his_ baby). He went to his seat, just between Zipacna and Tezcatlipoca, who were staring at Xochiquétzal with love struck expressions, though she simply ignored them. Marigold took her place next to Juan Carlos, with Carmen as her Maid of Honor and Xochiquétzal and the Sánchez twins as her bridesmaids.

The Candlemaker finally started the ceremony with an excited voice. "Friends, Mortals and Immortals alike, we're gathered here to join this god and this goddess in matrimony. The power of their love has been proven to be unbreakable, and stronger than any force in the universe…"

As he gave the speech, many of the people in the ceremony had different feelings. Xibalba was smiling at his daughter, watching with pride as she took the next step in her life. The whole Sánchez family was more than happy to see Juan Carlos joining his life to the love of his life, even Carlos was shedding tears of joy. The attending gods had mixed feelings about Juan Carlos, but they were happy for Marigold. Camazok hoped Juan Carlos and Marigold would be very happy.

A while later, the Candlemaker finally made the question everyone was waiting for. "Juan Carlos Sánchez, do you accept Marigold as your legitimate wife to love and protect her for the rest of your existence?"

Juan smiled, shifting his wings. "I do."

The Candlemaker turned to Marigold. "And do you, Princess Marigold, accept Juan Carlos as your legitimate husband to love and cherish him for eternity?"

Marigold didn't even hesitate to answer. "I do."

"By the power invested in me by the Book of Life…" the Candlemaker grinned. "I pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss…!" he was cut off when Marigold pulled Juan Carlos close out of sudden and her lips met his passionately; the human was surprised for a moment, before returning the kiss. "…The groom?" Ayayay, just like his father. Oh, well, he shrugged it off, what mattered was that they were together now.

The crowd erupted in cheers as some of the Remembered threw their hats into the air, and the gods cheered for the newly-married couple. Even those in San Ángel joined in, cheering down at the sight, including General Posada.

Soon everyone moved to the ballroom for the reception. María, Manolo and Cristina felt a bit uncomfortable with the other gods (much larger and imposing, not to mention most of them considered humans inferior), and so stuck to the ones they knew the whole party, the Candlemaker, Camazok, Zipacna and, as unbelievable as it seemed, Xibalba.

"So, our babies got married today." María commented, watching as Juan Carlos and Marigold enjoyed their meal in their own table, giggling as they fed each other and chatted.

"Yeah…" Xibalba simply said, staring at his little flower with yearning.

"Just imagine a few years later, or perhaps months… who knows?" the Candlemaker giggled, the Book of Life flapping its pages in excitement.

"I got the feeling we'll son have little Juanitos or Marigoldies running around here." Zipacna chuckled, before Xibalba gave him an elbow. "OW! What? Don't you want grandchildren?"

Everyone in the table laughed at the remark, but Xibalba stood up from the chair. "Excuse me." He slithered away, still leaning on his staff for support. He was happy for his daughter, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel sorrow, knowing that soon she and Juan Carlos would live here, and he'd be all alone down there once more. He came to a lonely part of the ballroom and kept staring at Marigold as she and Juan Carlos walked to the space reserved for dancing to start their first nuptial dance. Resting his back against the colorful ivory pillar, he watched them with a feeling of nostalgia overcoming him, recalling when he once danced with his beloved Muertita when they joined their lives. If she were here she'd be very proud of her, she'd probably be weeping of joy.

Suddenly he felt a warm air blow, and he felt a scent of marigolds and roses. Freezing in place, he turned around to see the spirit of La Muerte, his late wife, floating a few steps away from him. She was frowning at him, her arms crossed, her dark hair flowing beautifully; he didn't need to ask why she was looking at him that way, but still he was both bewildered and happy to see her.

"M-Muertita?"

La Muerte's spectral form glanced at her daughter and son-in-law as they danced together, locked into each other's eyes. Soon, when she returned her gaze to her husband she was smiling with glossy eyes. She floated closer to him and her lips met his. Xibalba was frozen for a few moments, before closing his eyes and returning it, even though it didn't physically feel the same, it still brought him comfort and happiness. When they pulled back, she was still smiling at him.

"_You did good, Balby…_" those were her last words before she disappeared once again.

Xibalba stood there for a few seconds, before his lips curved upwards into a smile. When the nuptial waltz was over, Juan and Marigold kissed once again, when they pulled back Marigold placed her hands on her husband's shoulders. "I'm glad I can kiss you now without papá freaking out."

Juan returned the smile. "I don't think it's against the Ancient Rules for a husband to kiss his wife, is it?"

"It's not."

Juan Carlos jumped when he felt a tapping on his shoulder, and he nearly fainted when he saw Xibalba towering over him. However, he had no hostility in any of his features (at least, not yet).

"Would you mind if I danced with my daughter, boy?" he asked softly.

Juan Carlos didn't mind being referred to as 'boy'. "No, _señor_."

When Xibalba glanced at his daughter, his whole demeanor changed as he smiled at her and held out his hand. "Would you grant me this piece, _señorita_?"

Marigold smiled at her father as she took his hand. "Si, papi."

Juan Carlos walked away from them to give them their space. Xibalba waltzed with his child, his adoring eyes set on her, and she looked up at him with great affection and love. He recalled when he once danced in this very same ballroom with her when she was but three years old. His baby…

Camazok approached Juan Carlos and watched with him as Marigold danced with her father. There was something he wanted to tell him. "Say, Juan… I want you to know there are no hard feelings for this."

Juan Carlos glanced at him in surprise. "You're not upset?"

"Well, I admit, I wish Marigold would have chosen me, but if being with you makes her happy, then I'm happy for her too."

"That's not what I mean." Juan Carlos added quickly.

Camazok sighed when he understood. "I don't like how my brother met his end, even though he was never kind to me he was still my family, but he brought it upon himself."

"What about your father?"

"Well, since his favorite son is dead, you can imagine how angry and hurt he is. I don't think I'll be returning home, I don't know how he might react on seeing me."

"But what are you going to do then, Cam?"

"Well… Lord Zipacna offered me a job in the Land of the Cursed and I took it, he put me in charge of punishing the cowardly soldiers who took their own lives to escape capture."

"I thought you didn't like to kill people."

"Not kill, but I do like teaching tough guys a lesson every now and then." Camazok smirked.

Juan Carlos sighed. "Lucky you, I have no idea what Xibalba will assign me to do. He may have let me marry Marigold, but I can tell he still doesn't like me."

"May he have mercy on you, _amigo_."

Juan Carlos sighed. "If only."


	23. No More Secrets

A few days passed since the wedding.

As Xibalba continued with the paperwork, he couldn't help but feel anxious and sad. Today his baby would leave to the Land of the Remembered, she and her new husband needed their privacy, as much as he didn't like the idea. But his Marigold was all grown up now, though it didn't mean it didn't hurt to let her go. He would miss her terribly, she made living down here less depressing.

Placing his quill back on its inkwell, the dark god opened one of the drawers of his desk and brought out a small red box. Lifting the lid, he found various things from his daughter's infancy and childhood. He had kept them to remember the happy times, when it was just he and she. One of the first things he found was her baby rattle, the one he had made especially for her. He couldn't help but smile sadly as he fidgeted with it. Memories returned to him as he stared at it.

* * *

_Xibalba shook the rattle over his daughter's head, and the familiar noise called her attention; her wailing diminished into sobs as she watched the little toy above her._

_"Like it?" Xibalba cooed, smiling down at his daughter with tired eyes. "Papi made it for you when you were inside mami's tummy." Marigold's little hands reached out and got a hold on the rattle._

* * *

He couldn't help but chuckle a bit on remembering the first time he showed to her, it was as if she had recognized it. Placing the rattle back in the box, he now grabbed a small crow doll, worn down by time, though it managed to keep its bell. Yet another of his daughter's toys.

* * *

_Marigold giggled wildly as her father tickled her belly, making funny faces and sticking out his tongue at her. Xibalba reached out his hand to a side and grabbed a small crow plush with a bell inside. He shook it in front of his baby, and watched fondly as her curious eyes glued unto it, staring at it._

_"__Hi, Marigold! I'm Mr. Crowley!" He chimed in a high-pitched voice, shaking the crow plush over her. "Do you want to be my friend? Don't be shy! Let's be friends!" he couldn't help but smile when his daughter giggled and reached out her little hands for it._

* * *

Xibalba chuckled, but his eyes were swelling up with tears. Had it been so long ever since she was that fragile little _cosita_ that needed him so? He placed Mr. Crowley back on the box and took out the next thing. The drawing Marigold had made for him on Mother's day when she was four.

* * *

_When he examined the painting she had made, his eyes swelled up with tears._

_The drawing was quite crude, but he could make out what she had drawn. The drawing depicted him in his rocking chair, holding Marigold in his arms as a baby. There was a big red heart at the side, and she had written something in it…_

**_You're not only the best papá in the whole world. You're also the best mamá._**

**_Te quiero, papi._**

**_Marigold._**

* * *

Even with the passage of time, and though the paper had turned yellowish with time, those words were still intact. Xibalba placed it back on the box and continued to look at the things, until he came across a small red ribbon that fit into his hand…

* * *

_"Here. This was your mami's." He attached the hair bow to one of Marigold's many locks of dark hair; it looked ridiculously big, it was bigger than her head, actually, and so it fell forward, covering her eyes. Xibalba chuckled when she squealed in surprise and tried to get it off her face. "Don't worry, mi florecita. It'll fit you someday." _

_Marigold grabbed the hair bow and started touching it with her little fingers and wide eyes, wondering what it was for. "M-Mm-mama..."_

* * *

"Papi?"

Xibalba was startled by his daughter's voice, and he quickly placed the ribbon back into the box, closing it and lifting his gaze to find Marigold poking her head through the door. "What is it, my sweet?"

Marigold stepped into her father's study, with an air of sorrow "I'm going to be leaving for the Land of the Remembered soon and…"

Realizing what she meant, Xibalba stood up from his chair and walked closer to her. "I understand, _mi florecita_. You and your new husband need your privacy."

"Yes, but I will still miss this place. Emilio, Regina, everyone, but I'm going to miss _you_ the most."

He smiled and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You know you'll always be welcome here, sweetie. You can come visit as many times as you'd like, and besides you'll be seeing me often. I still have to go upstairs every now and then, remember?"

"_Si_. Hopefully there will be no more secrets between us, right?"

"Right, _mi florecita_. I promise you." His eyes swelled up with tears. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'll come back in a few days, I promise." Kissing her father's cheek one last time, she made her way to the door to leave for her new home. But before she left, she glanced at her father with a small smile. "And remember, no more secrets."

Once she was gone, Xibalba's smile faltered and he frowned deeply, looking down. There was _one_ more secret he had not yet told her, but he was reluctant to talk about it to anyone. He walked back to his desk, opened another drawer and pulled out something that no one but a few knew about.

A necklace of bones with the skull of a crow.

"No secrets."

* * *

**And so, ends another part of Marigold's story. But don't worry, it's far from over! The next chapter of this tale will bring dark secrets regarding La Muerte's death to light, and a certain goddess will make an appearance! Thanks to all my loyal fans and followers!**

**See you in the sequel!**


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